A Different Point of View
by ZeroBen
Summary: Trying to put an OC into Glee from 1st Ep to last. Mitchell Mason befriends Kurt, plots deviously with Rachel, falls head over heels in love with Quinn, gets a black eye, joins the club, and finds himself on the all-too bad side of one Sue Sylvester.
1. Pilot

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN Glee. Obviously. Mitchell Mason (my OC) is technically mine, but it's not like I have him copyrighted or anything.**

**Intro; **This probably will fail miserably, but we'll see. Trying to inject an original character somewhat seamlessly into the fabric that is Glee. Each chapter will be part of that Episode. Some filler here and there. Nothing big except for filling the gap between Seasons 1 and 2. The overall storyline is going to be relatively the same, but I'm not going to be using exact dialogue or scenes from the show. Meaning some scenes will mirror the scenes from the show, but they won't be exact duplicates.

**A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 1- "Pilot"**

They called it William McKinley High School. New student Mitchell Mason hadn't heard much about it, other than some surface details and a few odds and ends. There was actually a bit of controversy, though. Apparently, the Head of the Glee club had supposedly acted inappropriately towards one of the male students. Wasn't anything to find humor in, obviously, but in a twisted little way... It gave Mitchell hope that this new school wouldn't be as bland as his last.

To look at Mitchell was to see nothing really noteworthy. He was pretty average all around. He had brown hair, blue eyes - that his mother literally prayed for - and he was mostly skin and bones, standing at just a tick under six feet. His clothes were as average as his physique. He could be typically seen in baggy wear, somewhat reminiscent of a skater, though he couldn't skateboard to save his life.

And trust this narrator, he had tried.

He walked into William McKinley High School with an open mind and a shy outlook. He had a tendency to be very much whatever the official term was to describe the exact opposite of outgoing. Which meant no real friends, no real dates, no real excitement scheduled for the weekend. He was hoping to try and change that, though. Maybe not all at once, but a little at a time might be... holy... crap... who... is... her? What... she's... name?

From across the hall, there was quite possibly the most angelic, the most beautiful, the single most perfect specimen of the female form to ever have graced the planet Earth with her presence; She was a Cheerleader. Holy freakin' crap, they just walk around in their Cheerleader uniforms?

THIS IS THE MOST AMAZING SCHOOL EVER!

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. Tragically, perhaps, for Mitchell Mason, they have a tendency to stop suddenly with an almost concussive impact...

Mitchell's day came to a screeching halt as he walked right smack into an open locker. He hit the hard floor beneath him, his backpack - while softening the blow - actually making it a bit worse at the same time. Yet, his eyes remained locked on the vision of beauty as she walked down the hall like nothing ever happened. Even as his right eye started to blacken a bit, signifying a shiner.

"Oh my god, I am so sorry!"

Mitchell heard nothing as he rolled onto his stomach, not snapping out of his trance until after the Cheerleader finally turned a corner and was out of sight.

"Are you alright? Oh wow, you may have a concussion. All these years of dodging bullies and now I am one."

"I'm good." Mitchell mumbled, being helped up by the young man who's locker he had walked into, "It's my fault, anyway. I have a tendency to space out."

"You have a black eye, how could you possibly be good?"

"Her." Mitchell spoke, "Her. Who is her?"

"Who is she?" the other boy wondered, "... Is that what you were... oh well, anyways... I'm assuming you just snuck your first peek at Quinn Fabray?"

"Th-The Cheerleader?"

"Yes." the boy sighed, hating to see another one fall under the succubus' spell, "Be warned, though; Her inner beauty does not match her outer."

Mitchell sighed, leaning back against the lockers, head starting to hurt a little, "I have to talk to her."

"Smitten, already? And so they say... Another one bites the dust."

"I'm Mitchell, by the way." Mitchell stuck his hand out, "Mitchell Mason."

This was certainly new to the boy. He wasn't used to having someone new act this pleasant to him. It then dawned on him as if a light bulb flashed over his head, "And you must be a new Student?"

"Yeah." Mitchell was a little confused, but kept his hand out anyway.

"Kurt Hummel." and they shook, "Nice to meet you, sorry about nearly bashing your skull in with my locker. Are you sure you're alright?"

Mitchell shrugged, "It's nothing." though, he was actually feeling a little dizzy, "So, where can I see a guy about a girl?"

"Actually... she's taken." Kurt explained as they started walking, though Mitchell had no idea if he was heading to his home room or not, "Fitting the cliche perfectly; She is in a relationship with the star Quarterback."

"Crap." Mitchell muttered, saddened by that news. How the hell could a kid like him compete with a Quarterback? The short answer; He couldn't!

"Sup, Dorkenstein?" a deep voice from behind, and a slap across the back of Kurt's head, followed by laughter.

Mitchell turned around to find members of the football team having a laugh at Kurt's expense, "What was that about?"

Kurt sighed, "Typical day in the life of a Glee club member."

"You're in the Glee club?"

Kurt nodded, then noticed the look on Mitchell's face, able to guess the next question, "No, Mr. Ryerson didn't act weird around me. To be honest, I'm not sold that he acted weird around Hank Saunders, either. But, that's just me, I suppose."

Mitchell shook his head a little, wincing.

"Maybe you should see the Nurse?" Kurt offered a little advice, "You seem a little... off."

Mitchell disagreed, "Nope, I'm good. I'm just a little... love-struck." he smirked like an idiot.

"So, what's your home room number? Mine is..." Kurt stopped when he noticed that Mitchell had done the same.

There was a bulletin board with a variety of papers posted on it. One in particular pertained to Cheerleading. It stated that there were a couple spots left on the Cheerios squad if anyone was bold enough to try-out. If anyone dared, they needed to start by seeing the Coach in her office.

Mitchell tapped the paper with his finger and smiled, "Looks like I got a way in."

"Class starts in a minute." Kurt checked his watch, "I mean, literally, _one minute_."

"No worries."

"I highly recommend not being late to the very first class on your very first day at your new school."

"No worries." Mitchell repeated, "It's all under control. I'm just gonna see about the Cheerleading squad."

Fear filled Kurt for the hell that Mitchell was unknowingly about to embark upon, "Oh no, Mitchell, don't do it. Seriously... this is going to be a huge mistake on your part."

Mitchell just smiled and shrugged, giving a wave as he headed in the opposite direction.

"Mitchell!"

"Shut up, Songbird!" one of the jocks.

Kurt could do nothing else but think of the possible friendship that could have formed between the two. For now, death awaited Mitchell Mason in the form of Sue Sylvester.

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

Mitchell realized that the idea of trying out for the Cheerios - haha, what a name - wasn't thought-out. More than likely, there were probably huge holes in his logic. But, at this point, what other choice did he have? He felt that he needed to strike while the iron was hot. And, considering that this Quinn Fabray already had a Quarterback boyfriend, the only possible way that Mitchell could make any bit of progress was by joining the Cheerios.

See, it makes sense, right?

Right?

Of course, Mitchell had never ventured into the land of cheerleading before. The closest he ever came to that was dancing and singing in his bedroom. Alone. No one even in the house. Obviously, that wasn't cheering, but it had to help him at least a little...

Right?

After a deep breath to keep himself composed, Mitchell knocked on the office door and let himself in. Not even thinking...

"Okay, now see, whatever it is that you came here to say... already loses its legs to stand on, because you just made mistake number one. Ironically, also one of the biggest mistakes possible." this blonde lady - presumably the Head Coach of the Cheerios - was sitting at her desk, a guy with curly hair standing to the side, "Now, what do you suppose is the purpose of knocking if you're just going to let yourself in regardless?"

Mitchell was speechless.

Sue sighed, "Eh well, at least it gives me a distraction from this buffoon." she gestured to the man, "So, c'mon, what is it?"

Mitchell swallowed hard, now incredibly terrified, "I-I...umm... uhhh..."

Sue sniffed in the air, "What's that smell? That aroma?" Sue stood up, walking over to Mitchell and sniffing around him, as if this scent was coming from him, "Ah, okay, now I know. That is the stink of a newborn William McKinley High School student. Word to the wise, Stinky, the Lions can smell the Lambs a mile away. And, by the looks of that eye, it looks like one already got to ya."

"Alright, this is ridiculous." the man stepped in between Sue and the new student, "Obviously, you're just irritated with me so you're taking it out on him. Let him talk, Sue."

Sue shrugged, "Fine. Spill it... _Lamb_."

"Umm... okay... I kinda... I want to try-out for the Cheerios." his voice was very quiet.

"You stinky lamb." Sue wasn't one to hold back, "You walk in here, un-invited, un-welcomed, with your shabby baggy clothes, those vomit-inducing blue eyes and your obvious lack of cheerleading skills... And you think I'm gonna waste my time... my breath... my dwindling yet extremely significant life-span... on watching you fail miserably for some stupid desire that is probably being spurned on by your out of control teenage hormones?"

"I can dance and sing pretty good." Mitchell blurted in a mumble, surprising himself. He had never admitted that. But, at this point, he was flailing at straws.

That caught the attention of the other man in the office.

"Out!" Sue ordered, turning away in disgust, "The both of you. Honestly, if I am forced to listen to another word, I'm going to have to borrow some rope from P.E. and hang myself from one of the basketball hoops."

The two males exited the office quickly.

So much for his bright idea. Mitchell just tried shaking it off and sighed, holding onto the straps of his backpack.

"Hey..." the man caught up with him a little ways down the hall and around a corner, "This is going to sound dumb, but do you actually like to sing and dance?"

Embarrassed, Mitchell nodded, "But, don't tell anyone. Actually, who am I kidding? That psychopath is bound to blare it over the P.A. system."

_"Now hear this... The new Student here with the black eye... loves to dance and sing. I repeat, dance and sing. Do with it what you will. Haha, this will teach you to barge into my office, Stinky."_

"Holy crap." Mitchell couldn't believe that actually happened.

"Listen, my name is Will Schuester." he explained, "I'm in charge of the Glee club."

Mitchell suddenly took a weary step back.

"Trust me, my record's clean." Will assured him before continuing, "Anyway, if you want to join a club and you actually like to do those things, the Glee club's doors are always open. We could use a new member."

"Okay, I do like to dance and sing..." he was still somewhat in denial that that fact was out there, "... But, I'm not very good at it."

Will was a touch confused, "You seemed..."

Another humiliating confession, "There's this girl..."

"Ah." it all made sense now, "I see. Well... the offer stands. I don't reject anyone."

With that, Will Schuester walked away.

**:::Lunch:::**

"Why didn't you warn me?"

"I tried, but you walked away so fast."

After grabbing his tray of food, Mitchell quickly took a seat next to Kurt in the cafeteria. The students were still in the midst of piling in. Most hadn't even begun on their meals yet. Though, there seemed a majority that didn't appear all that enthusiastic to dig in.

"She tore me apart, man." Mitchell explained.

"Hey, Stinky! He's real! Stinky!" random jocks had found a new victim, "STINKY!"

"Lions..." Mitchell mumbled under his breath.

"It should blow over, eventually." Kurt tried his hand at optimism for Mitchell's sake.

Mitchell shook his head, "This never happens."

"What do you mean?"

"The new kid? You know... on TV shows... the new kid in school always ends up saving the day at the end of the episode, not cowering in fear in the lunch room. This totally would sooooo not be happening if I was Zac Efron."

"Zac Efron? Did you just use a Zac Efron reference?" Kurt chuckled, amused.

"What?" Mitchell was somewhat defensive, "So? I didn't say it to sound faggy. Dude, I'm not like that."

"Obviously." Kurt appeared a little hurt, but Mitchell didn't happen to notice as his eyes were darting all around the cafeteria.

A moment or two later, a group of students took their seats at the table. One sat at the edge, due to being in a wheelchair. "So, is anyone as excited as I am?" a bubbly brunette spoke with a smile.

"Who are you?" an Asian girl pointed at Mitchell.

Kurt too the initiative, "Fellow Glee clubbers, meet Mitchell. Mitchell meet... Tina, Rachel, Mercedes and Artie."

"Stinky?" Mercedes asked with an accidental chuckle, "Sorry, no offense."

"I think it's a cute nickname." Rachel commented.

"Could be worse." Artie remarked.

"At least you d-d-don't stutter." Tina added.

Mitchell was ready to respond when his attention was stolen away from the table, held in the warm clutches of the infinitely beautiful, Quinn Fabray.

Everyone watched with cocked eyebrows and confused expressions.

Rachel was first to speak, "Is he... _Special_?"

"I don't think you're supposed to say that." Mercedes said.

"You just called him Stinky!" Rachel whispered in defense.

Kurt pointed with a finger to Quinn Fabray, walking hand in hand with Finn Hudson a.k.a. the star Quarterback that Kurt had alluded to earlier.

"Oh..." Mercedes, Tina and Artie responded in unison.

Rachel would have to, if not for her own personal trance being inflicted upon her by the crush she had on Finn Hudson.

"Oh my god... it's spreading." Artie spoke as if he were in a Science Fiction film.

"How'd he get that black eye?" Tina wondered.

Kurt slowly raised his hand.

"You attacked Stinky?"

"He was trapped in a Quinn-induced trance and he walked into my open locker."

"Did he go to the Nurse?" Mercedes asked.

Kurt shook his head.

Finally, the hypnosis lost its effect and the two love-sick puppies were transported back to the real world.

"Unbelievable." Mercedes just had to say something, "You're in love with Finn and Stinky's in love with Quinn."

"D-d-devil girl." Tina added quietly.

Mitchell and Rachel looked at each other. An unspoken connection formed in that moment. A mission had been laid in front of them - only for them. It was them, had to be them, the two of them. Yet, they didn't dare act upon it too quickly, prematurely. Besides, it was insanely horrible to even consider. Devious, even.

"Wait a minute..." Mercedes got their attention, "... You like to dance and sing? For real?"

Mitchell's head fell forward, hitting the lunch table hard. Perhaps, too hard. He quickly rose back up, gasping and holding his aching skull, "That was stupid. That was really stupid."

"You don't say?" Tina's addition.

"So..." Rachel pressed the question a bit, "... Do you?"

No point in denying it now, "Yes."

"Really?" Kurt wanted confirmation.

"Yes, really." Mitchell replied, still holding his head, "I already told Mr. Schuester, though, I'm not good at it. Definitely not good enough to join the Glee club."

"No problem." Artie mentioned, "We could use an extra member."

"No problem that I suck?" Mitchell was confused, "Isn't the whole purpose... to not suck?"

"You probably don't suck that much." Rachel said without thinking, cringing when she realized what she said.

"My head hurts." Mitchell was hurting, "Dizzy too."

"Stinky doesn't look good." Mercedes put her head in her hands, "Ahhh... I can't stop saying it!"

Tina and Artie laughed, but Rachel couldn't help in feeling that a future partner in crime was going down way too soon.

"That settles it!" Kurt stood up, casting aside Mitchell's earlier semi homophobic words, "I'm taking you to the Nurse."

"I'm good." Mitchell's eyes weren't even able to focus.

"The hell you are!" Kurt wasn't accepting that phrase again. Mitchell needed to be seen to. No doubt about it.

Fine, whatever. Mitchell gave in. Besides, he was feeling really dizzy. With a little help from Kurt, Mitchell made his way through the cafeteria, ignoring the Stinky chants. However, there was another distraction. It came in the form of Mitchell catching yet another glimpse of Ms. Fabray.

Needless to say, he couldn't look away and ended up walking right smack into a football player.

This particular player was nicknamed... _Puck_, and his lunch was currently falling from his jacket, and the look on his face told the tale of a young man who didn't easily forgive. With the entire lunch room watching in anticipation, a painful beatdown appeared upon the horizon...

Kurt couldn't move fast enough, and Puck's fist connected perfectly with Mitchell's jaw. But, as it all felt like it were happening in slow-motion, all Mitchell could think and feel as he drifted to the floor and into unconsciousness, was the glaring fact that Quinn Fabray was looking at him during it all.

Probably wondering just why the hell this kid was smiling like a fool as he collapsed to the floor.

"You fool!" Kurt bravely exclaimed after the slow-motion sequence had come to an end, "He probably already has a concussion, and you may have just sent him on vacation to coma-land."

Puck gestured to his ruined jacket.

"Understandable." Kurt bent over to help Mitchell, not surprised that he was the only one helping, "But, surely, not a strong enough reason to knock someone into a coma."

"Says you." Puck replied before walking away, knowing well that Stinky wasn't in a coma.

"Is school over yet?" Mitchell asked as he started coming out of it, being lead away from the cafeteria by Kurt, with the other Glee lubbers deciding to follow.

**:::Outside of the Nurse's Office:::**

Kurt, Rachel, Mercedes, Tina and Artie were all outside of the Nurse's office, waiting on the word. Was Mitchell actually concussed? On the brink of a trip to coma-land? Would he end up having to be sent home? All these questions.

Momentarily, the man of the hour emerged from the office holding a fresh ice pack on his forehead, "No concussion."

"Thank goodness." Kurt spoke.

"So, you're good to go?" Rachel asked.

"She said I might have a minor contusion..." Mitchell explained, "... I'm not sure what the difference between that and a concussion is. But, I'm optimistic."

"There you guys are. I thought we were meeting after... oh man, what happened?" Mr. Schuester had approached.

"I banged my head on a table and then got punched by a football player." Mitchell spoke somewhat proudly, figuring if he didn't laugh, he'd probably be crying.

"Are you alright?"

"Contusion. No concussion."

"Oh, well, that's good." Mr. Schuester wasn't quite clear on the difference, either. He then felt a bit of a sense of pride for his students, "And, you all helped him out?"

"He d-d-d-doesn't know anyone e-else." Tina stutter-spoke on behalf of the group.

"I confronted a football player." Kurt stated proudly, "Boldly, I may add."

"We also think that he should join our club." Rachel took the chance to speak. She was hopeful of another member, for they certainly needed more.

"Well, that's up to him." Will answered.

"Are Cheerleaders into Glee club dudes?"

"No!" Artie mentioned in a bit of a jaded tone, everyone glancing at him, "Oh... I meant... who knows?"

"That settles that." Mitchell started walking away from the group.

"Are you serious!" Kurt was in shock, "After all this, you're still going to lust after her?"

Lust was kind of a strong word, but whatever works. "The heart feels what it feels, right?" Mitchell's simple response before returning on his way to whatever class was next on the list.

"Stinky's got issues." Mercedes commented, "Stinky's got some serious issues."

"He's crushing hard." Rachel suggested, "The hardest I've seen since sixth grade."

"Huh?"

"Oh. Sixth grade. A boy named Timmy dug up his mother's flower bed for a girl named Cassie. Everyday, he would give her another flower until she agreed to go out with him. Timmy ended up with a broken heart and Cassie ended up with over four dozen flowers."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Guidance Counselor's Office:::**

It felt like he had visited more offices than classrooms during his first week of school. Nonetheless, a couple days passed by, and one of the teachers suggested to Mitchell that he pay a visit to the Guidance Counselor's office. Her name was Emma Pillsbury, and she seemed a peculiar lady. Though, obviously, Mitchell was in no condition to judge. Maybe quirky was a better description than peculiar. Actually... yeah... it was.

"So..." Ms. Pillsbury started, playing with a couple items on her desk, making sure they were in their right spots, "... It seems that you had quite the eventful first day of school."

Mitchell nodded. There was no disagreeing with that statement.

"I'm just curious... just wondering... How have you adjusted since?"

Mitchell thought about it for a minute before answering her question; Things had been relatively quiet since his first day at William McKinley. Granted, the nickname had stuck. Which sucked. He wasn't in love with being referred to as Stinky by what felt like the entirety of the Student Body. Speaking of which, he hadn't done good in the friend department. That wasn't a huge surprise, but still...

"No need to analyze things silently, Mitchell." she said, "Feel free to think aloud."

"I-I just... I didn't realize until now..." he started, realization settling in, "... They were the only ones that stuck by me and I pretty much hung them out to dry."

"Who?"

"Glee Club." he pointed to his black eye, which had really set in, "Picked me up twice..." referring to Kurt, "... Made sure I was okay..." referring to everyone waiting in the hall, "... Tried to stand up for me..." referring to Mr. Schuester in the Cheerios' Head Coach's office, "... And I just... totally blew them off because..."

His mind drifted the now infamous Quinn Fabray. His crush. It was still with him. Thinking of her, seeing her, it just felt so alive. Surely, he had his share of crushes in his life up until this point. Granted, though, they mostly consisted of famous celebrities. They didn't feel like this. He knew it was stupid, but it almost felt like... or maybe it really was... Love at first sight.

"Are the rumors true?" Ms. Pillsbury was curious, "You enjoy singing?"

"I'm not any good."

"That doesn't answer my question..."

Mitchell sighed, "Yes. But, I mean... in my room... when no one is around."

"Do you think you would enjoy being part of the Glee Club?"

He didn't know the answer to that.

"Mitchell, your teachers are under the impression that you're very withdrawn. It's only been a few days since you arrived, but there is some worry that you're too inside yourself... for lack of a better term."

"Worry?"

"Yes." she repeated, "Worry. Considering how rough your first day was..."

He knew where she was going with this. And, yeah, it had only been a few days, but despite how rough his first day was, he remembered that one of the bright spots was hanging out with the Glee club that little bit. And, what was the point of worrying about how humiliating it was to be part of that, when the entire school was already well aware of him liking to sing and dance. Not to mention referring to him as Stinky.

They helped him out. He wanted to return the favor. Yeah, the more he thought about it... the more right it seemed.

"I'm gonna join the Glee Club." he said abruptly, somewhat just blurting it out.

"Oh, yay." Ms. Pillsbury said comically, smiling. Surprising how easy that was.

**:::Glee Club:::**

"You're kidding me!"

While Kurt, Rachel, Artie, Mercedes and Tina were all happy to hear that Mitchell decided to join, they were without a leader. Mr. Schuester had decided to quit his position as Director of the Glee club. However, that wasn't about to stop them. As the saying goes... The show must go on.

"It'll just be the seven of us, but I'm sure we'll do fine." Rachel stated to the group.

Wait, seven? Mitchell only counted six which included himself. Where did Rachel get...

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late." Finn entered, looking over his shoulder suspiciously as he entered the room, shutting the door behind him.

Finn? Finn Hudson was now part of Glee club? When did that happen? Quinn's star Quarterback boyfriend was now a member? Football players joined Glee club? Since when? Fantastic, as if Mitchell's chances hadn't been crushed enough. Now they were absiolutely obliterated.

"We have a new member." Rachel introduced the two of them to each other, "Mitchell Mason meet Finn Hudson."

"Hey, the new guy, right?" Finn extended a hand.

Mitchell accepted the shake, "The Cheerleader's boyfriend. Err... I mean... Quarterback who has a Cheerleader for a girlfriend... Or something like that."

Finn chuckled, "I get that a lot, actually."

"So..." Mitchell didn't know how this all went.

"Tell you what..." Rachel stepped up, "... There's something we've been working on. So, just watch what we do and you can get a feel for what to expect."

"Cool." Mitchell shrugged taking a seat, as the Glee Kids took their spots.

Kurt inhaled a deep breath, "Our first audience for the revamp. Is it wrong that I'm nervous?"

"Just let it go, man. I'm one of you."

"In that case..."

The crew blasted through an amazing rendition of "Don't Stop Believin'". Unbeknownst to them, Mr. Schuester had saw most of it. Once they were finished, he entered the room, applauding as he did so...

"You keep performing like that and the Nationals are gonna be all yours." he said with a smile.

"I decided to join, Mr. Schuester." Mitchell piped up.

Will kept on smiling, "Good to hear."

"Speaking of Nationals, we have a better chance if you're with us." Mercedes stepped forward, hopeful that Mr. Schuester may have reconsidered.

"You can't get me to join and then just up and quit." Finn's turn.

"You know, there was a little bird in my ear this morning." Mr. Schuester explained, "She sang me a song and made me realize something..."

"... I'd never be able to live with myself if I wasn't there by your sides when you win Nationals!"

"When _we_ win Nationals, you mean." Rachel corrected as they all cheered.

"First things first, though." Will took a step back and pointed at Mitchell then to the head of the room, "We gotta see whatcha got!"

"Oh god, I change my mind." Mitchell laughed nervously before taking a seat on a stool and grabbing a guitar.

After a couple sighs and a few deep breaths, Mitchell knocked a version of "Fallin' For You" right out of the park. It was something from the heart, as it was currently how he felt about a certain someone.

Everyone applauded, even Finn. Obviously, he wasn't wise to the crush.

"I don't know, Mr. Mason..." Mr. Schuester laughed, "... I liked it, but I'm gonna need a show of hands. All in favor of Mitchell Mason's performance qualifying him for a position in the Glee club?"

Everyone raised their hands.

"Welcome to the show." Will patted Mitchell on the back.

"Nationals, here we come."


	2. Showmance

Ahh, I can't remember the episodes as good as I want to, so some things will be a little off. Though, the basic big events are all there to keep things moving. Thank god for wikis and youtube videos. Also, I know the cheerleader audition scene is different, but it fits this particular story better with the way it is in here.

**A Different Point of View**

_Didn't read the first chapter? Here's what you missed..._

_Mitchell Mason is the new kid at William McKinley High School. Instantly, he finds a friend in Kurt and an overwhelming crush in Quinn Fabray. In an effort to get closer to the cheerleader, he sets his sight on the Cheerios. Problem... Sue tears him down completely. Embarrassed, humiliated, downright ashamed, he finds himself in a trance whenever he sees Quinn and ends up on the wrong side of Puck's fist._

_However, the Glee kids stick by him through thick and thin. And, eventually, he finds himself as one of their own._

_And that's what you missed._

**CHAPTER 2- "Showmance"**

Mitchell was at his lockers, stuffing unneeded - and unwanted - text-books inside, when he spotted his fellow Glee club member, Rachel, approaching from the corner of his eye...

"Hi, Mitch."

He wasn't a huge fan of being called Mitch. It either made him sound gay or like a jock. Or, perhaps, both? Nonetheless, it was a lot better than being referred to as Stinky. So, with that in mind, he wasn't about to argue.

"What's up, Rachel?"

She seemed a little shy. Or, maybe it wasn't shyness. Maybe it was simply that she wasn't quite sure how to say what she wanted to. "I've been thinking about something and I was wondering if you would be interested in a partnership?"

"Partnership?" he cocked a brow, stuffing the last book away.

"Yes." the brunette nodded with a confident smile, "A partnership."

He had a vague idea of where this was going, but he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. "Alright, what's on your mind?" he shut his locker.

"Meet me after school today?"

"Yeah, sure."

**:::Glee Club:::**

At the usual time, all the members had joined each other in the room. Will had stated beforehand that he had a big announcement to make to all of them. So, it was exciting. To the side, Rachel and Mitchell chose to sit next to each other, Rachel sneaking glances at Finn whenever possible.

"Okay, let's get right down to it." Mr. Schuester started, "I wasn't aware, but it seems that... In order for a Glee club to progress further in the competitions... There must be twelve members."

Everyone groaned.

"Now, now..." he put up a hand, "... Not to worry, I have this figured out. We will simply put on a special performance after the school assembly the day after tomorrow. It'll be our opportunity to show everyone what we're made of."

That was a good idea, but the chances of more people joining the club seemed pretty slim at best.

"Mr. Schuester?" Kurt spoke up, "Not to rain on your parade, but it is highly doubtful that anyone join us."

"I understand the doubts." Will quickly said, but then pointed at Mitchell, "However, need I remind everyone that you were all thinking the same thing before Mitchell signed up?"

"Stinky's different." Mercedes, "A man in love is a man easily manipulated."

Finn chuckled, "Who's he in love with?"

Awkward moment, no one sure what to say. Obviously, they didn't want a rift to form in case Finn took offense to the new guy having the hots for his lady.

"A girl at my old school." Mitchell blurted, covering himself nicely with a faux frown, "I miss her."

"It is rather tragic." Kurt added.

"Sad. Very sad." Rachel ended, shaking her head slowly.

Will clapped his hands together once, "Okay - love stories aside - we need to focus. I've decided on a selection that I'm confident you all will enjoy performing. It is... 'Le Freak' from..."

A unified interruption in the form of an equally collected gasp...

"Are you Le Out of Your Mind?" Kurt's ears were nearly bleeding from disbelief, "They'll throw fruit at us."

"Mr. Schuester, you can't be serious." Rachel was right behind Kurt.

"W-what... I don't... what's this song from?" Mitchell asked Rachel and she whispered an answer in his ear, prompting him to have this reaction while jumping out of his seat... "DISCO!"

"Two words; Social suicide." Finn crossed his arms, dejected.

Artie and Tina just shook their heads in disgust.

"I'm too angry to form words, Mr. Schue. Too angry to form words!" Mercedes was upset as well.

Will sighed, "Okay, okay. Just, hear me out; Disco is still in, guys. People love retro. They get into it. I mean... we'll design some outfits... We'll turn it into something really eye-catching and attention-grabbing. Trust me, it'll work."

"Yes, well, for your sake, I hope it does." Rachel voiced her opinion, "Because, we'll have to quit Glee club and you'll need to find new members."

"I can't do it." Mitchell shook his head, "I'm already known all over school as Stinky."

"Stinky's got a point." Mercedes added, prompting Mitchell to gesture to her.

"Okay..." Mr. Schuester didn't see the big deal, but he didn't want his kids upset, "Let me think..." he thought about it for a moment, seeing literally dozens of song choices dancing in his mind, "... How about this? Learning 'Le Freak' for now, earns you a 'Gold Digger' for later?"

Didn't seem like that fair of a compromise. But, at this point, it was better than nothing. So, begrudgingly, they decided to accept said compromise.

**:::After School:::**

Rachel and Mitchell had met up with each other on their way out of school...

"So..." Mitchell started, smirking a bit as he noticed Rachel couldn't stop smiling, "... What is it?"

"We share a similar plight." she began the explanation, "Specifically, we're both seeking different sides of a whole."

"Finn and Quinn." Mitchell concluded, then noticed the absurdity of two people with rhyming names being together in a relationship.

"Exactly." they stepped out of the school.

"What do you have in mind?" Mitchell could sense an obvious plan.

"We team-up to split them apart." she dropped the bombshell, knocking Mitchell for a proverbial loop, "I know how harsh that seems. But, I personally believe we would be doing this school a huge service."

"How so?" Mitchell took a seat next to a railing as all the others passed them by.

"Power couples are good. But, a couple with too much power is bad." she said, "The star Quarterback and Head Cheerleader are way too powerful of a couple to stay together. Besides, there inevitably will be problems between the two somewhere down the road."

"But, there's going to be huge problems right now if..."

Rachel sighed, "Here I was thinking we had a connection." she turned to walk away.

Mitchell followed her, "Hold up!"

Rachel smiled before turning back around with a more serious expression.

"Okay." Mitchell relented, "I'm in. How do we do this?"

"Finn and Quinn are both members of the celibacy club..."

"The football player and cheerleader are celibates?" he couldn't believe it.

"Yes." Rachel continued, "Anyway, I've already signed us up for the meeting tomorrow."

Mitchell's eyes went wide with shock, "I'm totally not a celibate. I-I mean... I'm a virgin, but ever since I saw Quinn in that outfit I can't stop..."

Rachel cringed, effectively grossed out, "No details, Mitchell Mason! No details at all!"

"My bad." do people even still say that?

"10am sharp tomorrow morning." Rachel turned to make her leave, "Be there."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Celibacy Club:::**

"Seriously, dude, is there anything in this school that you don't wanna join?"

Noah Puckerman's words of wisdom directed towards Mitchell Mason.

So, how this celibacy club thing worked, was the boys and girls were split apart for the first 30. For the last half, they were to mingle. The main boys were Mitchell, Puck, Finn and the always strange Jacob. The main girls were Quinn, Santana, Brittany and now Rachel. And, for some strange reason, Mitchell had a feeling the majority of these people weren't virgins. Or, at the very least, weren't virgins because they wanted to be.

By the way, Mitchell and Puck were forced to squash the little rivalry that began in the cafeteria on Mitchell's first day, courtesy of the Principal.

"This is so boring! How much longer 'til we mingle with the meat!" Jacob was annoyed, impatient in regards to seeing those cheerleaders.

Everyone ignored him.

"Hey..." Finn spoke to Mitchell, "... What about this girl from your old school? Did you guys ever..."

"Yeah."

Now, he had no really honest clue as to why he would tell such a lie. Well, actually he did. Being in front of two football players and a raging nerd that was ready to blow at the mere thought of cheerleaders, Mitchell wanted at least a little bit of a reputation. Something noteworthy to add to himself. Maybe it could go a little ways in washing out the bad taste from being known as Stinky.

"No way." Puck wasn't sold as he shook his head. "You don't got it in ya."

"I do." Mitchell defended himself.

Puck thought for a minute before responding again, "Alright, then prove it."

"How?"

"Immaculate affection. Pair up with Santana."

"Ooooohhh." Jacob in a hushed tone of voice.

"I don't even know what the immaculate conception is."

"Immaculate affection." Puck corrected, "You and a girl stand in front of each other with a balloon between you. The balloon isn't supposed to pop. If it does, the angels cry like bitches."

"Stupid." Finn rolled his eyes.

"No, no." Puck laughed a little, "If this guy here is telling the truth, then he'll be fine. But, trust me man, there's no way a newbie will be able to handle being that close to Santana Lopez without busting his balloon."

"Way too many innuendos."

**:::Second half of celibacy club:::**

Before everyone could sit down, Mitchell and Rachel went off to the side to chat quick.

"Any progress?" Rachel whispered.

"I didn't know I was supposed to do anything yet." Mitchell worried.

Rachel just glared for a moment before joining the rest of the group. Mitchell joined as well.

"Okay, everyone, we have two new members." Quinn began.

Mitchell was already long gone. He was somewhere far away. A land where there were was beautiful happy music, pink fluffy clouds and birds singing around his head. He and Quinn were skipping down a rainbow-colored road, hand-in-hand, smiling and laughing without a care or worry in the world. But, then they stopped. She looked into his eyes as he looked into hers, and they...

"Mitchell!" Finn nudged the new kid with an elbow, "Where's your head, man?"

Mitchell was torn violently from his fantasy, his heart clutched tightly in humiliation as the entirety - including the ever beautiful Quinn - of the celibacy club all stared at him like he was late for the short bus.

"Uhhh... ummm... My name is Mitchell Mason?"

Quinn sighed, obviously aggravated, "We're already aware."

This was so not going good.

**:::Meanwhile:::**

Will had tracked down Mercedes in the halls between classes, "Hey, Mercedes?"

"Hey, Mr. Scuester. Are you okay?" she noted that he looked a little unlike himself.

"It's nothing, really." he explained, "But, something came up and I have to get home. I'm going to miss practice today. But, tell everyone to just go on without me."

"Alright, will do."

"Thanks."

**:::Back at the celibacy club:::**

The immaculate affection.

"Remember... If the balloon pops, the noise makes the angels cry."

Mitchell couldn't help it, he had a goofy expression plastered across his face. He was defenseless against it. He felt as if he were tripping on some kind of wonder drug.

"Dude!" another nudge from Finn, "She's gonna end up kicking you out."

Mitchell shook himself free with help from Finn. As before, Quinn was none too pleased, "I said... It's time to partner up for the immaculate affection." she had a balloon already in her hand.

"And I think that our new boy..." Puck put both hands on Mitchell's shoulder before leading him over to Santana, "... Should pair-up with Santana."

Brittany gasped, "No fair."

"What!" Santana was pissed at Puck for such a stupid idea, "I am not pairing with Stinky!"

Amazing just how much that nickname stuck.

"I got Rachel!" Jacob exclaimed with a hungry look behind his glasses.

Rachel felt herself become ill as she shivered, "Oh god, no."

"Okay, I'll pick the pairs." Quinn took the initiative. She then smirked, "Rachel and Puck. Jacob and Santana. Mitchell and Brittany."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Alright, I get the new girl. Whoo-hoo. Can't everyone see how excited I am?"

Finn gave a quick look as he paired with his girlfriend.

Rachel didn't really want to be paired with Puck. The slushie memory still fresh in her mind. But, it was the lesser of two evils considering the alternative.

Santana and Jacob stood across from each other as everyone else did the same. Instantly, she could feel herself retch as it was obvious Jacob was way too excited about this pairing. "Hell no! Screw it, I'll take Mitchell!"

Quinn was annoyed but she chose to keep her calm, "Alright."

"Switch places." Santana all but ordered Brittany.

"I love it when you boss me around." the blonde commented while complying.

Mitchell gulped, noticing Puck giving a mock wave from the corner of his eye.

"And... begin."

"We just stand here?" Rachel wondered.

"We can move around a little." Puck smirked as he moved his hips just a little.

"Ugh." Rachel's response.

"Hot." Brittany muttered, paying no attention to Jacob or her own balloon.

"So, you're new." Santana was uncomfortable. Therefore, she wanted to alleviate the feeling by distracting herself with some random conversation.

Mitchell nodded absent-mindfully, eyes focused on Quinn.

"You're not paying attention to me, are you?" first there was anger, then there was a devious little smile, "Oh, I'll get your attention, boy."

"So, why is the Glee club showing an interest in celibacy?" Quinn wondered, "I thought having no sex life was a job requirement there."

Puck laughed. Jacob did too. For what reason, no one knew.

Rachel was a little hurt, but nothing too drastic, "That isn't true. And, I would like it if you wouldn't demean us."

"Awww..." Quinn laughed.

"I'm serious." Rachel stood her ground. "We are tired of the taunting, jokes, and all-around mean everything that a lot of the Cheerios and football players do. It isn't fair. And what the football team keeps doing to Kurt is disgusting. It needs to stop."

Puck sighed, "Is it just me or are girls cooler when they don't talk?"

"Yeah!" Jacob followed for no good reason.

"Shut up." Puck responded.

"Tell them, Finn." Rachel looked to her fellow member, "Tell them how we deserve respect just as much as they do."

Finn was hesitant.

"Yeah, Finn." Quinn smiled sarcastically, "Enlighten us."

He kept quiet.

It definitely hurt Rachel to see Finn not speaking up for her or the club. It did little to dampen her current infatuation with him, though. She turned her attention elsewhere, "Fine then. Mitchell? Care to speak?"

Nothing.

"Mitchell?"

Still nothing.

"Oh my god!"

"Santana!"

"Holy..."

"I wanna be that balloon so bad."

Finn and Quinn's balloon popped.

"Finn!"

"It must of hit my zipper!"

Mitchell wasn't in that room anymore. He wasn't in fantasy land with Quinn, either. He was somewhere dark, filled with sex, fast cars, heavy metal music from the 80's, and fire. Lots of fire!

At the moment, Santana was gently grinding - a little too low on her own body - the balloon dangerously close into a very specific part on Mitchell's body. He wasn't doing anything, but he certainly wasn't about to put an end to it, either.

And, oh yes, Santana had definitely gotten his attention.

"That's sick!"

"That's awesome!"

"Mitchell, stop that right now!"

"Santana, you too!"

"Don't stop!"

"Don't ever stop!"

Jacob and Brittany's balloon popped. So did Rachel's and Puck's. Although, it was courtesy of Puck dropping it and stomping down on it. He then proceeded to march right out of the room.

Mitchell was frozen. He didn't know what to do or say. Not what to think or feel. For all intents and purpose, he was a deer in the headlights.

"I knew this would happen!" Quinn barked, "I knew it'd be trouble letting you Glee freaks in here!"

Mitchell broke from his frozen state of mind, sadness breaking it. The girl that he had a monster crush on, had just referred to him as a freak.

Santana simply smirked and winked at Mitchell and walked away while waving by wiggling her fingers. Per the usual, Brittany was close behind.

"I'm sorry." Mitchell mumbled to Quinn.

"No." Rachel stood in defiance, "It wasn't your fault. It was Santana! If anyone thinks otherwise, then they're blind."

"You both need to leave." Quinn's orders towards Rachel and Mitchell.

This plan had gone horribly wrong.

Rachel turned to Finn, hopeful of something coming from him. But, he kept quiet, silently mouthing the words... "I'm sorry."

"Leave." Quinn repeated to Rachel and Mitchell.

Rachel headed for the door, but Mitchell just kept on standing there.

"Did you not hear me the first ten times, pervert?" Quinn now had her hands on her hips, and her head cocked, "I want you out of my sight. You're disgusting."

He just felt... so horrible inside. It was like he was trapped.

"You're retarded, aren't you?"

"That's enough, Quinn!" Rachel took a stand, "It's one thing if you say something to me, it's another if it's one of my friends. He's just obviously humiliated and you're making him feel worse and worse."

Rachel took him by the hand, seeing he needed it badly, "Let's go, Mitchell."

Finally, Rachel and Mitchell made their exit.

"That was kind of harsh." Finn commented.

"Oh, really?" Quinn retaliated.

Finn put his palms up, "Okay, maybe not."

**:::In the Halls:::**

Puck caught up with Santana somewhere down the hallways.

"Hey, what was up with that show you put on?" Puck had to know.

"Jealous?" Santana smirked.

"Of your new boyfriend?" he laughed as Santana rolled her eyes, "No, just wondering."

"Please, boy. I know jealousy when I see it. People that aren't jealous don't storm out of a room like that."

"Fine, whatever. But, honestly, what's up?"

Santana shrugged nonchalantly, starting back on her way, "Teaches you to not pick my partners for me."

Puck let a grin of sarcasm loose, "Revenge? Hot."

Meanwhile...

Rachel was trying to communicate with Mitchell as they left the celibacy club. But, it did no use as he was far from in a talking mood.

"Mitchell, please, I know you're upset. But, it's not my fault."

"It's all your fault!" Mitchell turned towards her, eyes a little red from trying not to cry, "The 'partnership' was a stupid idea! She hates me! She can't stand the sight of me!"

"This isn't permanent damage. She obviously has to see that it was Santana trying to cause trouble. Today didn't go as planned. But, I don't see it as being enough to make us quit."

"Wake up, Rachel!" Mitchell's words were ready to inflict pain, "They're together and she controls him! He's wrapped around her little finger"

"We need to stick together." she followed him, though he quickened his pace to try and lose her, "If not for the partnership, then for the club. We have a big performance tomorrow."

Mitchell stopped, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. Rachel was absolutely right. Tomorrow was big. And, they needed to practice later.

"There you are!" Kurt came up in a panic, "Mecerdes said Mr. Schuester had to leave early today. We're not sure if we're gonna be ready for the assembly or not."

**:::Glee Club:::**

The club had gathered together. Mitchell sat as far away from everyone as he could. And, there was visible tension between he, Finn and Rachel. The others figured something happened at celibacy club. But, they didn't want to dig and make the problem worse than it already was.

With everyone seated, Rachel stood, "Despite little problems we have going on, tomorrow is big. We need to put on the best performance possible if we're going to attract new members. So, we need to come together and really make everyone realize how good we can be."

"Kinda hard to do that with Le Freak." Mercedes commented.

"Exactly." Rachel smiled, ignoring the negative feelings caused from before, "Which is why I've decided on a better song for us to do. One that will really get everyone's attention."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::The Assembly:::**

"Everyone, I would like to introduce the Glee club... But, you can call them... New Directions!"

With Mr. Schuester seated and the school watching, the curtain opened and there was the seven members of the Glee club. But, something suddenly felt off about the whole. Before Will could analyze any further, though, the group started busting through a version of "Push It" . Much to the dismay, disgust and chagrin of everyone in attendance.

This including the one and only Sue Sylvester.

In fact, once the performance was over, you could have heard a pin drop. Hell, listen closely enough and you may have even heard crickets chirping.

Mitchell couldn't take all this humiliation. As if the locker incident, cheerleading incident, nickname incident, punch from Puck incident and the celibacy club incident wasn't enough, this was the straw that broke the camel's back. He was the first of his group to walk off stage. He knew well that Mr. Schue would want to speak with them all. But, at this point, he didn't care.

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee Club:::**

"Where the hell did you go yesterday!"

Finn was angry. Rightfully so, in a way. The others were too, though they weren't as vocal. Yesterday, Mitchell had left them high and dry to be ripped to shreds by Mr. Schuester. A real low-class act. Especially, if you remembered that it wasn't too long ago that they stuck by his side through his eventful and nearly catastrophic first day.

Mitchell tossed his backpack in a chair, confronting his fellow members, "I'm sorry, guys. I know, I shouldn't have left like that. Just... yesterday was a bad and I needed to get out of here. I know it's not a good enough excuse."

"We're supposed to stick together, Mitchell." Kurt spoke up on behalf of the group, "If one of us goes down, we all go down."

"I know." Mitchell sighed, trying not to frown. It really was a crappy move he pulled yesterday. No denying it at all.

Rachel was prepared to say something, when the shock of the century came in the form of Mr. Schuester entering the scene with Quinn, Santana and Brittany in tow. No one knew how to react, even Finn. A stunned silence fell over them all.

"Attention please." Mr. Schue began, "Despite the controversial performance yesterday, we have three brand new prospects. You all know each other, so we'll skip the introductions."

"You're trying out for the club?" Finn was downright astonished.

"Yes." Quinn's mind was flashing with images of Finn and Rachel dancing too close for comfort at the assembly. If nothing else, she wanted to keep closer tabs on her boyfriend. Santana and Brittany were more or less there to simply support her.

"Hey, _lover_." Santana winked and blew a kiss to Mitchell in a blatant taunting manner.

"Too bad we don't have a balloon handy." Brittany added in a quiet voice.

He knew how wrong it was for him to do it. He realized he would yet again be abandoning the group. He understood how much of a coward he was being. But, at a time like this, he just couldn't take anymore. It wasn't just enough. It was more than enough. Mitchell picked his backpack up once again, throwing it over his shoulder, and headed for the door.

"Three strike rule." Mr. Schuester's words halted the student midway through the doorway, "You're at two."

He hesitated, the majority of him wanting to stay the course while a small part of him wanted to go back into the room, rejoining his friends. His only friends. Thus far, the only ones that gave a damn about him.

Despite that...

Mitchell walked out.


	3. Acafellas

Again, it's not quite the real episode, but you're still getting the overall story. Albeit a slightly mixed up and not as good version.

**A Different Point of View**

_You missed something, didn't you?_

_Mitchell's the new kid in school and things haven't been going well. After finding friendship in the Glee club, he walked out on them two times in as many days. If that wasn't bad enough, Quinn despises him for an incident between he and Santana during celibacy club. Adding insult to injury, Santana has taken a liking to taunting him endlessly. Which is equal parts excessively hot and excessively infuriating._

_And that's what you missed._

**CHAPTER 3- "Acafellas"**

Another trip to the guidance counselor's office. His education at McKinley was not going well at all. The first day was bad, but nothing crucial. However, after the fiasco that was celibacy club, the performance at the assembly, and then him walking out on his friends two times in a row? He was downright set to get himself expelled for the sole purpose of getting the hell out of dodge.

As far as the Glee club itself, things were definitely a little rocky. Will wasn't over the last performance, and he was experiencing troubles at home that were distracting him. The Cheerios' presence wasn't helping matters at all. Finn and Quinn spent more time together than ever, despite Finn and Rachel sharing a moment that the girl thought would go a long way in forming a relationship.

Not to mention, everyone being aggravated at Mitchell's recent behavior.

Mitchell took a deep breath, rubbing both hands over his head and hair as he sat in a chair opposite the guidance counselor, Emma Pillsbury, "I hate this school."

"That's a very strong opening statement."

"It's a very strong emotion." Mitchell followed up, sitting upright in the chair, "Glee club sucks now. Our meetings are like pulling teeth. Finn and Quinn keep to themselves. Rachel's aggravated. The others are disgusted in me, and Santana won't stop flirting!"

Emma found that last complaint a touch peculiar, "Usually, our male students would jump at the chance of flirting with Ms. Lopez."

"It's not like that, though." Mitchell elaborated, "She's doing it for the sole purpose of torturing me."

"Is is that far out of the realm of possibility that maybe she's interested in you?" Ms. Pillsbury raised, "Maybe the incident at celibacy club and all your encounters with her since are her way of trying to get you to notice her?"

At this point, that didn't sound so bad, considering that he had absolutely no shot at Quinn. In fact, he would have liked to go on record as to saying that he had a better chance of swallowing the universe whole than making any amount of progress with Quinn in the relationship department. Yet, despite all of that, Mitchell knew for a fact that Santana was flirting with him for her own twisted enjoyment.

He shook his head at Ms. Pillsbury's idea, "That woman is evil."

Very well, she wouldn't dive any further down into that subject. "I have spoken with Mr. Schuester..."

"I know... the three strike rule." Mitchell repeated what was told to him, "I have two strikes. One more, and I'm out of the Glee club. But, honestly, I'm not seeing that as a bad thing right now."

"Mitchell, I will admit that one's own personal happiness should come before fitting in. But, that being said, I think you should re-consider your current outlook on the club."

"They hate me."

"They don't hate you."

"Then they don't like me."

"Santana seems..."

"She doesn't like me, either!"

Mitchell took a deep breath, calming himself down before apologizing, "I'm sorry, Ms. Pillsbury. I know, I'm acting like an idiot. It's kinda uncontrollable at this point, though."

Thinking silently for a moment or two, Emma took out a small notepad and started writing, "I am going to assign you a little social project that I think will help you very much."

Social project?

She tore the paper away and put it down on her desk for Mitchell to clearly read, "I know that it might be a little strange at first. But, it should help you come out of your shell and adjust to the school."

If Mitchell's eyes went any wider, his forehead would have shrunk considerably, "Ask Santana if she really likes me or not?"

"Yes."

He didn't want to be any more rude than he already had, so he restrained from any outburst, "Do you really think this will help?"

"Mm-hm." Emma nodded pleasantly as the door to her office opened, revealing Noah Puckerman with a sly grin on his face.

Mitchell looked over his shoulder out of reflex, finding Puck standing there.

"In trouble again?" Emma asked.

"You know me all too well, Ms. Pillsbury." Puck replied as Mitchell moved out of the way and he took the seat.

Mitchell made his way to the door until Emma spoke up, "Be optimistic, Mitchell. And, hurry to Glee club, you don't want to be late."

**:::Glee club:::**

Mitchell walked in not a second too early, opting for his typical seat in the back corner. All the members were there, which included the now infamous, Santana Lopez. It should have gone without saying that she was seated with her fellow Cheerios and Finn.

Mr. Schuester was at the head of the class, also sitting, "All right. So, where to begin? I know that we've been a little off track lately. But, we're not doing anything useful if not going forward. I'm open to ideas on where we go from here..."

"We still need more members." Kurt voiced the most glaring issue.

"Four more." Mr. Schuester agreed. "I'm positive that we'll be able to reach that goal. Just as long as certain members take it upon themselves to stick with us."

There were rumors of members maybe thinking about quitting. It seemed everyone accused the other. Of course, Mitchell was at the top of the list, and rightfully so. True to recent form, Santana blew a kiss and did the wiggly finger wave of hers that was grating on Mitchell's nerves.

"Your choreography needs work." Quinn took the opportunity to pass some wisdom, "It's pretty weak."

The other members flashed a quick little dirty look toward the cheerleader and her groupies. But, Rachel was not among them, which was surprising, "I agree." she shared the same opinion, "We have the talent. But, I don't think we're tapping into our full potential."

"That's an understatement." Santana spat with attitude bleeding through her words.

Why couldn't it be Quinn that was making those flirtations with Mitchell? Why? He knew they weren't real, but at least they would be enjoyed a whole hell of a lot more. Once again daydreaming over Quinn, and this time without even realizing it, Mitchell discovered Mr. Schuester staring right at him sharing the familiar expression that seemed to spread through everyone that looked at him recently... _None too pleased_.

"Sorry." Mitchell mumbled.

"He totally cannot stop thinking about me. Look at 'em, he's gettin' a happy right now."

A happy?

"Let's focus, people." Will got them back on track, "How do we tackle our supposed choreography situation?"

"Dakota Stanley." Rachel announced, warranting a surprised look from Will, "He's known to work wonders. It'll be just the push we need."

"Bold choice." Mr. Schue wasn't comfortable with this, "Might be a little difficult getting him on such short notice."

"We could work it." Quinn's voice.

"We can _work_ anything." Santana, "Just ask Mitchell."

Don't look at Mitchell, 'cause he's blushing like a freakin' tomato!

Mr. Schuester sighed, "Okay, look; I'm thinking that having Dakota Stanley join us may be one too many cooks in the kitchen."

"Nationals." Brittany reminded out of the blue.

"Change is difficult, Mr. Schue." Rachel again, "But, we need to do what we have to to win. And, right now, we need to be better."

"I have a lot of ideas that I..."

Rachel politely interrupted, "With all due respect, Mr. Schue... Your last idea was Le Freak."

"With all due respect, Rachel... Your last idea was Push It." Will politely reminded.

"Well now... this is gettin' good." Santana was entertained by the building tension.

"This our Glee club." Rachel stood her ground, not settling for anything that she thought was less than satisfactory, "We were here before you. We appreciate..."

"This is getting out of control." Mercedes took the wheel, "We've already had enough arguing. We need to start working together."

"I second that." Kurt supported Mercedes, much to her subtle delight, "I personally think that's the smartest thing anyone has said so far."

Artie and Tina also backed her up.

"Guys, I'm only looking out for our best interests." Rachel knew she wouldn't get anywhere, if she wasn't being supported by her fellow members.

"Let's just take a step back." Mr. Schuester offered. "You guys, Rachel's right. At the end of the day, it is your Glee club. I want you guys to see me as being in charge, but I also don't want to be looked at as a _boss-man_, if you get my drift."

"Heh heh, _boss man_." Santana winked seductively over her shoulder at poor Mitchell.

"Be my girlfriend!" Mitchell blurted nervously, an instant mix of terror and shock filling his face.

Santana looked at him as if he were Lobster Boy from the carnival, "What are you on?"

"I-I-I d-don't know... No idea clue." gibberish courtesy of Mitchell, "I... uhhh because you... there... I hate hot mean not nice cheerleaders. Mr. Will? Uhh... Schue? Mr. Schue?" Mitchell's voice cracked as his hand raised in the air, "May I be excused? Please?"

"No way." Quinn spoke for Mr. Schuester, "The three strikes rule, right? Wait... actually... yeah... go ahead and abandon us again. That would be perfect."

That crush on Quinn was dying more and more each day. Being slaughtered, the life strangling from it like it was a wet towel be wrung of whatever it was the made it wet in the first place.

"Okay, everyone slow down here. Especially Santana and Mitchell." Mr. Schue tried to regain control of what seemed to be an erratic club meeting, "As I said, this is your club. So, I'm leaving it up to you guys. If you really want Dakota Stanley in here, I won't stand in your way."

Everyone could sense it, even the Cheerios; Mr. Schuester's feelings had taken a hit. As much as they were having some troubles adjusting to the club's changes, so was he. And, it was obvious he was also going through something else that he wasn't letting on.

A few quiet minutes later, the meeting had come to a close and everyone began piling out. However, Mitchell decided on hanging back to hopefully draw out a little advice from Mr. Schuester...

"Sorry about the way I've been acting, Mr. Schuester." he apologized, for what felt like the 50th time since arriving at Mckinley High.

"I get it, Mitchell." Will understood, though he still wasn't thrilled, "Being the new kid and everything. But, I really need you to start focusing, okay?"

Mitchell nodded, then appeared as if there were something else on his mind but he was too shy to bring it up on his own.

Mr. Schuester sensed this, "Is there something else, Mitchell?"

He didn't want to talk about it, but he needed to start clearing through some of the mess that was his mind, "What am I supposed to do about Santana?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Mr. Schuester offered a smile as he started gathering his things, "Ask her out."

Mitchell rolled his eyes, "She isn't really into me for real. I was actually looking for some advice on how to get her to stop?"

"Not into you? Are you blind, man?" Mr. Schuester laughed.

Mr. Schuester seemed to be acting a little too friend-like. Maybe hoping to sway the vote regarding one Dakota Stanley? Or maybe Mitchell was over-analyzing. Either way... "I don't know why, exactly, but she's not doing it because she likes me. It's because she's torturing me."

Santana Lopez would go to that far of a length just to quench a twisted little thrill? She would go as far as to hound Mitchell endlessly just for the sake of amusing herself? It didn't make sense. Though, truthfully thinking about it just then, it did actually make more sense that she was doing it for taunting purposes rather than having feelings for the new boy in school.

"Well... Have you tried talking to her about it?" Mr. Schue asked, "And no, I don't mean babbling like earlier."

"Cheerios want nothing to do with me. Quinn despises the ground I walk on."

"If I were you, I'd try to talk with Santana when no one else was around her. Then, you could get to the bottom of it and put it behind you."

Hmm...

**:::Later:::**

Mitchell was on his way to the last class of the day, when he saw Santana walking away from Puck, her arms crossed and a frustrated expression upon her face. His gut instinct told him otherwise, but Mitchell took the opportunity to try and get an honest answer out of her. All the while, casting aside all the humiliation that would undoubtedly be heading his way as a result.

"Santana." he approached her, surprising himself in how forward he was.

Even more surprising, she stopped to listen.

He wasn't expecting that.

"Uhh... ummmm..." he could feel a lump forming in his throat as his palms began to sweat, "... I was thinking... or maybe wondering..."

"No, I don't like you." Santana stated rather abruptly before walking away.

Relief washed over Mitchell for a moment. That was a lot easier than he thought it would be. Perhaps, a lot easier than it should have been. Actually... it was painfully too easy. Things never came that easy to Mitchell.

Never...

He turned once he felt a tap at his shoulder, finding a smiling Santana, "Actually... you know what... someone like you could come in handy. Meet me after Glee club tomorrow. Oh, and tell no one!"

Mitchell gulped, watching Santana walk away yet again. What the hell had he just gotten himself into?

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee Club:::**

It was one of those rare occasions that came as a surprise but not a shock. Mr. Schuester had not attended Glee club practice the following day. Rumor had it... He was too busy forming a new group of strictly male vocalists. To be expected, this did not sit well at all with the kids. Well, all except Rachel and the Cheerios.

"This isn't right." Finn stood in front of everyone, "We need Mr. Schuester. Not some guy we've never heard of."

"Dakota Stanley is not some guy we've never heard of." Quinn corrected, "He works with Vocal Adrenaline. He is just what this club needs to push it to the next level."

Mitchell sat back, keeping his mouth closed. He didn't know enough to speak up or form an opinion. However, he didn't want Mr. Schuester gone. No way.

"Quinn's right." Rachel couldn't believe she was saying that, but she was, "If we want to win Nationals, we need to be the best. And, right now, Mr. Schue is too busy to teach us, anyway."

Finn scoffed, "The only reason that he's doing anything else is because you pushed him away. It started with the disco song and ended yesterday when you basically said to him that he wasn't good enough to teach us."

Quinn and the other Cheerios smiled confidently. Tina casted a quick suspicious glance towards them at the same time.

Finn appeared as though he wanted to say something more, but he restrained himself. Instead, he grabbed his things and left the room. In the background of the hall, if you looked close enough, you could spot Sue Sylvester with a satisfied smile across her lips.

"Am I the only one that thinks we should bolt that door shut?" Artie asked, referring to how it seemed like there was always someone either walking out or ready to do so.

Rachel just stared at the door for a few moments, obviously feeling sad. Mitchell saw this and felt inclined to try and help her out a little. Therefore, he got up and stood next to her, "Let's get off this road right now. We're on the verge of self-destruction. Before we go any further, I say we take a vote on whether or not we really seek out this Dakota Stanley dude."

"All in favor?"

The Cheerios, Rachel and Mercedes all raised their hands.

"All opposed?"

Kurt, Artie, Tina and Mitchell raised their hands.

Five to four. Looked like the McKinley High Glee club was officially shopping for a new choreographer.

"It's a mistake." Kurt sighed, "A big mistake. A Glee club in a constant state of flux is a Glee club doomed to fail."

"I was against the idea at first." Mercedes admitted, "But, if Mr. Schuester is too busy with his new project to be at our practices, then I don't think we should wait around until he finds the time."

Another confident smile from the Cheerios.

"We need to come together, guys." Rachel said to the group, "Tomorrow, we'll go to a Vocal Adrenaline rehearsal and try to talk with Dakota Stanley."

The club appeared to be split. Which obviously wasn't a good thing. However, the one shared opinion was that they needed to try something drastic to get themselves moving in a positive direction.

Once that was settled, they all started leaving the room. Rather nonchalantly, Santana and Mitchell hung back.

Mitchell was visibly nervous while Santana maintained her cool, confident and sexy way about her. A quiet moment came between the two of them. Mitchell didn't know what to say or do. Santana seemed to be simply contemplating her next move. No doubt about it, she was in control of the situation.

She reached behind her back, pulling out an un-marked CD and walked over to a stereo.

"Where did that come from?" Mitchell wondered aloud.

The next thing Mitchell knew, the play button was pushed and the proverbial walls were busted down. He and Santana were then rolling through a private performance of 'Promiscuous Girl', with Santana taking care of Nelly Furtado's parts and Mitchell going with Timbaland's lyrics. One moment, they weren't speaking a word, the next they were dancing dangerously close and losing themselves to the beat.

By the time it ended, Mitchell wasn't sure if he'd suffer a heart attack or not, and Santana knew for sure that she had accomplished what she set out to do; Wrap the new boy right around her finger.

Standing so close, Santana placed a kiss upon Mitchell's lips, stunning him.

"Okay..." he swallowed hard, "Just for clarification..."

"Consider us an item." Santana's own words.

Little did they realize, there were two very interested spectators watching from a safe distance. One being a satisfied Sue Sylvester, and the other being a disgruntled Noah Puckerman.

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Vocal Adrenaline Rehearsal:::**

Running a little later than they would have liked, the Glee kids arrived just in time to see Vocal Adrenaline finish their practice session. Conspicuous by their closeness, were Mitchell and Santana. Which, Quinn was most certainly not a fan of...

"What are you doing?" Quinn whispered, taking Santana aside, "He's obviously bad for your health."

"Obviously." Santana chuckled, agreeing. "An idea hit me, though. What if I turn a nothing into something, what if I mold him into someone useful to me? Look at the boy, he's puddy in my hands. By the time I'm done with him, he'll be a football playin' cheerleader kissin' _Glee club drop-out_."

"Ohhh..." Quinn started seeing the bigger picture, though she didn't seem as enthusiastic as one would have predicted, "Quite the task. Honestly, it's going to take a lot of work."

"OFF MY STAGE! ALL OF YOU!" the voice of Dakota Stanley shouting at his own performers, "Good god, if I wanted to watch sludge move, I would have taken a trip to a sewage facility. Which I would never do. Which also means that... I DON'T WANT TO WATCH SLUDGE! GET OFF MY STAGE!"

"Are we sure about this?" Mitchell muttered from the corner of his mouth to Kurt.

"Absolutely not." Mr. Hummel's reply as Vocal Adrenaline vacated the scene promptly.

Slowly but surely, and now with extreme caution, the Glee kids approached Dakota as he gathered his things, ready to call it a day.

"Oh lord, not another fund-raiser. Look... I already..."

"No, no." Rachel spoke for everyone else, "We're the Glee club from William McKinley High School."

"Little small for a club, don't you think?" Stanley raised a brow.

"One of our members isn't here with us." in reference to Finn.

Stanley sighed, already bored and irritated, "Alright, let's get this going. What do ya want from me?"

"We need a choreographer." Rachel explained, the Cheerios nodding, which meant Mitchell was nodding right along with them now.

"What happened to the Schuester fellow? Let me guess... competition scared him off? Couldn't have possibly been this group, though. SLUDGE!"

This was awkward, and becoming more so with each passing moment.

"We aren't confident in him." Rachel declared, though that wasn't a shared thought, "Basically, we need to come together. We need to be on the same page. Most importantly, we need new moves. Better ones. Ones that could win us the Nationals."

"I'll think about it." Stanley's answer, "But, perfection does not come cheap."

They would have to pay him? They hadn't thought that far ahead. Not even the Cheerios.

"How much does perfection cost?" Mercedes wondered, skeptical.

"About eight thousand dollars."

Holy crap!

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee Club:::**

It took a fundraiser with some hefty car-washing, but the money had been collected to pay the new Glee club choreographer what he was asking. This little event had taken place during the weekend. Mitchell hadn't attended, but he heard it turned into quite the fiasco. He had a prior baby-sitting engagement. Specifically, his little brother, Boomer.

Also, it had become official that Finn quit Glee Club and joined the Acafellas. Which was not going over so well with one Dakota Stanley...

"One foot in the grave already." the little man with a big mouth was shaking his head in a disappointed manner at the kids. "Oh well. Let's begin anew. First and foremost, I need you and you outta here!"

Mercedes and Artie? What the hell?

"Mr. Stanley?" Artie was at a loss, as was Mercedes.

"Way of the world, Wheels." Dakota explained simply, "Now roll yourself outta here before some handi-cap civil rights group shows up and makes me keep you."

"That's awful!" Kurt quickly stood up, angered and sickened, "How dare you say something so derogatory?"

"How dare you wear something so derogatory?" Stanley retaliated, "Honestly, did you pick those clothes out while you were blindfolded?"

"Don't talk to him like that!" Mitchell had heard enough, "Damn it! I knew this was a mistake!"

"Well then, you can walk outta here with your Salvation Army clothes and cheap haircut. I think that one over there trimmed that nest on your head while he was still blindfolded."

"He can't walk out." Quinn smiled, still not over the celibacy club incident, "If he does, he's gone."

"Oh, well, in that case... Consider yourself fired. Get out!"

This was going horribly wrong!

"Uh-oh." Brittany mumbled quietly, feeling a rant from Santana coming on.

"Whoah whoah whoah!" Santana's turn to stand, "My man ain't goin' nowhere!"

"I wish I was your man." Brittany, "That would be hot."

"You called me your man." Mitchell grinned like the village idiot.

"Kiss 'em goodbye, honey, 'cause he's hittin' the bricks."

"This is crazy." Mercedes broke her silence, "You can't talk to us like this. Look at you. You're two feet tall, we can barely see you. You're just some midget that needs an attitude adjustment."

"If we want to win, we need him." Quinn reminded, being spurred on by a mental image of Sue Sylvester.

"No." Rachel spoke up, ready to confront Dakota, "This was a mistake. We don't need him to win. We need someone that will treat us respect and listen to our ideas. We need Mr. Schuester to come back."

Mitchell scoffed, "It would have been ten times better if you thought of that last week. He's off with Acafellas, he ain't coming back. And now you're tickin' this nutjob off!"

"I am not a nutjob!" Stanley disagreed loudly, although he pretty much did everything loudly, "And, I am also not your choreographer. Adios, losers! Have fun choking at Nationals. If you even make it that far."

And then they were alone. Without a choreographer. Without a teacher. Without a leader. Without a mentor.

"Now what do we do?" Tina asked.

"Glee club's pretty much finished." Mitchell mumbled, "I should have quit when I had the chance."

"We need someone to lead us." Kurt said, "I'm pretty sure it's against the rules, too."

"I'm sorry, guys." Rachel apologized sincerely, "I just wanted us to have the best chance at winning. I guess I didn't think things through enough. It wasn't until now that I realized how much we need Mr. Schuester."

What would they do now?

"Wow, so this is what it feels like to be wanted." there was Will Schuester at the doorway with Finn and Puck at either side.

"Don't you guys have a world tour to prepare for?" Mitchell's little jab...

... Which prompted a smirk from Santana and a whisper to Quinn, "He's coming along nicely."

Quinn watched the reunion silently. From the ashes of nothing, the Glee Club was rising up. She thought for sure this idea would destroy them. But, no. And even worse... now it seemed like Puck wanted in on it. She felt a touch of guilt inside her stomach, making her slightly nausious. Finn was smiling with Rachel, joking and apologizing about their arguments last week. She felt bad. Did she really want to be the bitch? Did she really want to be the one that brought this club down to their knees?

She walked quietly out of the room, deciding that she wanted to say a little something to Sue Sylvester.

"And what's this I see?" Mr. Schuester gestured over to Mitchell and Santana sitting next to each other.

"Yeah... I was about to ask the same thing." Puck followed.

"Santana and the new boy are together now." Brittany answered then muttered to herself... "So not fair."

"That's right." Santana said smugly, crossing her arms and tilting her head, "I got me a new man, Mr. Puckerman. One that will support me like a real man should when the time comes."

Everyone laughed, except for Mitchell, Santana and Puck. Mitchell was too busy gulping, feeling the fear as Puck gave him a stern look. One that promised pain in the very near future.

"Alright guys, be prepared." Mr. Schuester announced, "The next time we meet, we are officially putting ourselves on the right track to Nationals!"

They all cheered.

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

"So, what are you telling me, Quinn?" Sue was in near disbelief, realizing that Quinn was in the midst of a change of heart in regards to Project Glee Club Sabotage.

"I don't know." Quinn responded, "I just feel like... I don't want to end up ruining their club."

"Do you smell that?" Sue sniffed, "Looks like we may have ourselves a female Stinky. Because, Quinn, that aroma floating in the air is the smell of failure. I am disappointed, young lady. Here I was thinking that I could count on. But, as I said, it looks like we have a female Stinky."

"Speaking of Stinky... Did you tell Santana to start dating him?"

Sue smiled confidently, suddenly beaming with pride, "Initiative is what told her. Santana Lopez saw an opportunity and she took it right by the horns, wrestling it to the ground and force-feeding it its own entrails."

Quinn nearly retched.

"And she made me think of something in the process." Sue explained further, "Stinky the Lamb isn't the most important piece of the Glee Club. Hell, he's not even a close third. But, what he does represent is that sneaky little Will Schuester having something over my head. You see, I tore that newbie down. He was done for, finished. But, there was Will Schuester picking him up and giving him a place. Making him feel better. Making Stinky feel like he could be saved from my wrath. That cannot be tolerated."

Sue continued, " It gives the curly-haired bastard confidence, a sense of accomplishment. And that is something that I wll not stand for. That is simply something that cannot be."

"I don't think it's possible to humiliate him anymore." Quinn raised a valid point.

Sue leaned forward, elbows on her desk, "It seems that we can't take the boy out of Glee club. So, we are going to take the Glee club out of the boy."

Rather than a complete sudden collapse, Sue Sylvester was now shooting for eliminating the Glee club piece by piece.


	4. Preggers

A screw-up on my part; I added Puck to the club a chapter too early. Also, this chapter is a little - or maybe a lot - on the short side. Ironically though, it's one of the more important ones.

**A Different Point of View**

_Missed something?_

_The new kid is Mitchell Mason. It's been an eventful start for him. He joined the Glee club, walked out on them twice, angered Sue Sylvester, got a black eye from Puck and was involved in a scandalous incident with Santana Lopez during celibacy club. Ironically, the two of them are now in a relationship. Although, what Mitchell doesn't know is that its sole purpose is the aiding in the slow ruination of the Glee club._

_That's what you missed._

**CHAPTER 4- "Preggers"**

Another day, another dollar. Well... if there were dollars to be made, that is. Mitchell Mason and Kurt Hummel were walking down the hall together en route to a class they shared. Along the way, Kurt would have been remiss if he did not take the opportunity to pass along his two cents concerning the relationship that everyone was talking about...

Mitchell Mason and Santana Lopez.

"I don't trust her." Kurt said, "Santana has a tendency to do a lot of channel surfing, if you catch my drift."

Mitchell shrugged, "It is what it is. Which is awesome. Last night, she made out with Brittany in front of me."

"Too much information." Kurt swiftly responded, "Anyway... what do you guys do for fun?"

"We kiss a lot." Mitchell suddenly found himself realizing that they weren't much of a couple. In fact, the only real thing they did was kissing. "Actually... that's pretty much all we do. Wait... ah-ha... I thought of something else just now. We also make fun of people a lot."

"Excessive making-out and mean-spirited humor." Kurt summed it up, "If that's not love, I don't know what is."

"Not love." Mitchell had someone else taking far too much space up in his mind, "Don't say anything, but I still have feelings for Quinn."

"How is that even possible?" Kurt was amazed, "She's disgusted by you, plus you have a girlfriend already. If you don't move on soon, you're going to start getting that puppy dog look about you again."

"Anyways..." Mitchell shrugged free of his Quinn thoughts, "... What do I do about Santana? How do I get her to do more things with me?"

"Hmmm..." Kurt mulled it over, "Well, one thing you could try is the basic making her happy. Taking into account that it is Santana and she can be very materialistic, buying her nice things could go a very long way."

"Nice things." Mitchell repeated, "I need money. Got any money, Kurt Hummel?"

"Sadly, no, Mitchell Mason. How about your parents?"

"They're not big on giving me any." Mitchell dismissed the good but ultimately useless idea. Then he came alive with a spark, snapping his fingers, "I'll get a job!"

"And what would this occupation entail?" Kurt wondered as they walked into the class-room and took their seats with a couple minutes to spare before the bell.

"I'll have to think about it." the conversation then switched to a different topic... "Hey, what's this I hear about you being the new kicker?"

"They say I have potential." Kurt was proud of the accomplishment, mental images of he and Finn spending more time together in his mind's eye.

"I didn't realize you were into sports." Mitchell admitted, the bell about to ring, "It's cool, though. You'll probably score a cheerleader easy."

Kurt smiled somewhat awkwardly, "Yeah... easy..."

**:::Meanwhile:::**

The Cheerios squad had just finished working out a new cheer. One that their coach was certain would gain them a lot of positive attention. After the practice, the cheerleaders all gathered in the locker room before going about their business for the rest of the day. Currently, Santana was busy explaining her relationship with one of the squad...

"You should see this boy. Hahaha, he follows me around like a puppy dog. Does whatever I tell him to."

"He's totally under your spell."

"Totally." Santana nodded.

Quinn overheard this from the side of the room where she sat quietly. She wasn't the typical big factor she normally was in practice. She knew why, but she wasn't quite ready to confess. Therefore, she passed it off as simply feeling under the weather.

She had mixed feelings about Santana's relationship with Mitchell. For starters, the more she thought about it, the more the celibacy club debacle was due to Santana, not the new kid. More so, it just didn't feel right for Santana to lead this boy on until the inevitable break-up, where undoubtedly the true nature of the relationship would be unveiled for all.

And this all started last week when the Glee club reunited with Mr. Schuester. More and more each day, Quinn found herself fighting the urge to destroy this group of friends like her coach had originally instructed. Maybe it was just her hormones being out of whack due to her secret. Maybe it was just a guilty conscience. Maybe it was a number of things. But, the bottom line, Quinn was starting to care... just a little... about the Glee club.

**:::Glee club:::**

The time for practice had come. Everyone gathered together. Mr. Schuester claimed beforehand that he wasn't planning on rehearsing, though. He simply wanted to take another step in re-connecting with his glee students. Therefore, with each practice, he gave everyone the chance to explain a little something about themselves. Today, it would be Mitchell's turn to do so.

Mitchell stood up straight in front of everyone...

"I don't really know what to say. Umm... my middle name is Marcus..."

Mitchell Marcus Mason?

"... Uhh... my mom has an office job. Which isn't like the TV show. And, my dad's a doctor. We'd probably live in a mansion, but we don't because someone used to have a gambling problem. But, not to worry, I'm not scarred or anything. That's how I ended up here, actually. We needed a fresh start. So, it's all good. My dad instantly found somewhere to work. He has a job at the hospital downtown. Umm... what else?"

"... This you already know, but Santana and I are quite the little item. Speaking of the lovely lady, I'm in the process of looking for a job. Why? To buy her things. Preferably, nice things." Santana started smiling brightly upon hearing that announcement. Puck rolled his eyes, scoffing.

"I'm also very proud of Kurt for becoming Mckinley's new kicker."

"... I also wanted to take this chance to wholeheartedly tell you all that I'm dedicated to this club. You can trust me, I'm not walking out. I'm not going to ditch you guys. You can count on me. No matter what, I'm here to stay."

A little round of applause as Mitchell took a seat next to Santana and the other Cheerios with Finn.

Truth be told, it felt oddly strange to be able to be around Quinn and not fall into a dream-like state of mind. He would be lying, though, if he told you that there weren't still some feelings fluttering around his heart in regards to the head cheerleader.

"Alright, very good, Mitchell." Mr. Schuester took center stage, "Now, very quickly, for the next couple days, there won't be any practices. Although, I obviously encourage you all to keep your voices in tune. I've been asked by Finn to help the football team a little. So, that's what I'll be doing."

"We don't need help." Puck scoffed yet again, regretting his recent decision to join the glee club.

"Yes, you do." Kurt corrected. Puck glared, causing Kurt to swallow hard and re-consider his words.

"We do need help, dude." Finn confronted the headstrong Puck.

"Okay, okay, let's not lose our cool." Will spoke up before tempers flared, "The next meeting will be a big one. I'm in the midst of narrowing down some selections for our next performances. Be warned, they will be awesome."

There was just something odd and off-putting about a teacher using 'Awesome' in a sentence.

Mitchell noticed the way Finn and Quinn sat next to each other. It wasn't like they were sitting next to each other at all. It was like they were sitting together. He and Santana weren't like that. Granted, they had only been together a little over a week. But, still, there was no closeness. Half the time, she didn't seem all that into him, either.

Ahh... he shouldn't have been thinking like that. It did no good. No use in over-analyzing something you didn't want to dig down too deep for the answer.

"So..." Santana approached Mitchell after Glee club, "... What kinda job we talking about?"

"No clue." Mitchell shrugged.

Santana had that none too pleased look starting to form, "Excusme?"

"What?" Mitchell was clueless, "I really don't know."

"Rookie!" Puck bumped shoulders in an intimidating manner with the new kid as he passed by.

"If I may interrupt." Kurt to the rescue, "You said your father works at the hospital. Perhaps, you could find something there?"

Santana liked that idea, "Pixie's got a point."

Pixie?

"Excusme?" Kurt raised a brow.

Mitchell snapped his fingers, "He was talking about the gift shop needing help. Kurt, you're a friggin' genius!"

"The first thing I want is a gift card to Breadstix." Santana started running down the list as she and Mitchell started down the hall, "Then maybe a bracelet or earrings. I could use a new skirt, too. New shoes too, obviously."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::The Hospital:::**

As far as Doctors and father-figures went, there wasn't much in the way of originality that would describe Mitchell's father, Mr. Mason. He was of a typical look, a typical temperament and personality. He was generally in a lighthearted mood and always quick to pass along a cheery hello to the common stranger. He also held a lot of sway at the hospital.

After school, Mitchell had explained to his father about his current desire to join the work-force. He also stated his desire to possibly work at the hospital his father was routinely stationed at. One thing lead to another, and Mitchell was now speaking to the man in charge of the gift shop located just past the entrance inside of the main building...

"Any previous experience of any kind?"

"No, sir."

Mr. Sanders was said man in charge. He was the boss. Mitchell's father claimed that this Mr. Sanders was a reasonable man, who favored honest hard-workers over people who were just out to make a quick buck. As far as looks, he was pretty average along with spectacles and a thin beard.

"Don't plan on running out on me in a week?"

"No, sir."

Mitchell was a bit surprised with how nervous he was. But, he just kept repeatedly reminding himself that it was all for the sake of making Santana happier with him. All for the sake of hopefully getting her to do more with him than just making-out, or having him watch her make-out with Brittany. Actually... That didn't sound so bad in hindsight.

Pay attention!

"Alright. Well... you have an iron-clad reference considering who your father is. So, I don't see any need in prolonging this. Consider yourself hired. If all goes according to plan, I will be expecting you this Saturday morning. But, don't worry, normal hours will typically be after school."

"Cool." Mitchell nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Sanders."

"No, thank you. I'm in desperate need of an extra pair of hands around here."

"Ummm..." he didn't want to sound like someone who was out for a quick buck, but Mr. Sanders had to understand that the entire purpose of applying for this job was getting money, "... How much would I be getting paid?"

"Enough." the quick answer with a smile as Mr. Sanders went back to work, "See you Saturday, Mitchell."

Mitchell wasn't quite sure how to take that response, but at least it was something, "Right. Saturday."

Mitchell left the gift shop feeling good about his chances of purchasing some nice stuff for his girlfriend. Once he was stepping through the exit doors of the hospital, he flipped his hood over his head and started down the walk into the parking lot. It was there that a surprise hit him in the form of Miss Quinn Fabray. His usual lovestruck emotions were substituted by concern. Why was she on her way to this place? Was she okay?

"Quinn?" he pulled his hood down as they crossed each other's paths.

"Mitchell." she greeted awkwardly, very surprised to see him.

Maybe it was due to having Santana in his life, but Mitchell found himself actually able to form coherent thoughts and sentences when in Quinn's presence now, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, of course, why?" she played it cool. There was no way that she was going to admit why she was at the hospital.

He gestured to the building with a thumb pointed at it, "You're going there."

"You just walked out of there." Quinn cleverly re-directed the focus, "I should be asking you the same question."

"Job." he answered, "Gift shop."

"Well... I'm just visiting someone." a harmless lie.

"Oh." Mitchell nodded.

"Yeah, so..." a little uncomfortable, "... I guess I will see you tomorrow in school."

"Yeah." Mitchell nodded again.

They started parting ways until Mitchell turned back around and caught up with her, "I'm sorry about everything that happened at celibacy club."

"Oh, it's nothing. A lifetime away now. I know that Santana can be a little much at times." Quinn responded, then felt a bit of an apology of her own coming on, "I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have tried to tear you down."

Mitchell looked at the girl a little cockeyed, causing her to feel uncomfortable.

"What?" she chuckled nervously. If this was McKinley, she would have probably ripped him apart. But, it wasn't her atmosphere, her usual surroundings. It was just a hospital parking lot where they were two normal civilians talking in the middle of it. Common ground.

"Are you sure you're not here to be a patient?" he asked, "I mean... you look so different. You've been acting kinda different too. Less... no offense... bitchy and controlling."

"I always have to be a bitch?" Quinn retorted, taking some offense.

Mitchell winced, "I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean..."

"No, I understand." and she did, but that didn't mean he would receive an explanation, "I really need to get inside now, though. Bye, Mitchell."

"Bye." and he watched her walk away for a moment before turning around and heading on his way home.

Quinn looked over her shoulder casually, casting a glance in Mitchell's direction. He - at the very least - seemed to genuinely be concerned for her. She would be lying if she said that it didn't feel nice. But, at the same time, she wasn't crazy about him thinking of her as bitchy and controlling. Of course, that was what she had been going for. Though, that part of her personality seemed to slowly start moving to the background as of late.

It must have been the hormones.

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee club:::**

Mitchell and Santana walked into the choir room arm in arm. Mitchell with a goofy expression upon his face and Santana wearing a proud smile and delighted twinkle in her eyes. From the side, Rachel watched. What happened to their so-called partnership? Why was he so quick to abandon his feelings for Quinn? On the flip-side, she guessed she couldn't blame him for finding companionship elsewhere. Yet, at the same time, what was she supposed to do? While Mitchell's feelings for Quinn had disintegrated, her feelings for Finn had only grown stronger.

"And, welcome back." Will greeted, "I'm trusting that you all practiced?"

There was a half-hearted response.

Not quite what he was hoping for, but he was willing to accept it, "Okay, let's get right down to it. I've made a decision. One that might be unpopular. But, I think it's in our best interest. I'm giving Tina a solo. It will be 'Tonight' from West Side Story.

Gasp!

"Mr. Schue!" Rachel quickly stood up in protest, "I mean no disrespect, but how dare you? I've been asking for that solo for the past isn't fair. You know how I feel about this song."

"Here we go again." Santana commented.

"Rachel," Will wasn't going to have his decision changed, "I think Tina deserves a solo and this song would suit her nicely."

"No." Rachel disagreed, then looked to Tina, "No, Tina. I'm sorry, but I've wanted to sing this for a long time. I doubt you even knew it existed until I started talking about it before."

"God, calm down." Quinn remarked.

"I agree." Mercedes followed suit, "Tina deserves a solo song just as much as you do. Let her sing it."

"Yeah." Mitchell agreed.

"Ditto." Kurt as well.

"You all feel this way?" Rachel asked, "None of you see what I'm trying to say?"

"You'd be better for the Drama Club." Puck's comment was the one that pushed her over the edge.

"Leave her alone." Finn decided to stand up for her, "Nothing against Tina, but Rachel really likes this song. It's practically her song. I think she should be the one to do it."

It felt good to see Finn stand up for her. However, it was obvious that there was no use. The decision had been made and was set in stone. It wasn't fair to her. It wasn't right. Rachel felt betrayed. She felt like she had just been slapped in the face. With nothing else to say, Rachel Berry walked out of Glee club in more ways than one, leaving everyone to wonder if she would be coming back.

**:::That Night:::**

**:::The Football Game:::**

Truth be told, this was Mitchell's first football game. Which was a bit silly, considering he was a big fan of the sport. He had watched football for as long as he could remember. One of his earliest memories were of spending Sunday afternoons with his father in front of the television, snacks coming in as friends and family joined in. At the current point in time, he was seated in the bleachers with Mercedes. The two of them were attending in support of Kurt's debut as kicker. Although, honestly, Mitchell was a bit more there to watch his lady in action.

"She's so hot." Mitchell sighed happily, watching his girl do her thing on the sidelines.

"Do you really like her?" Mercedes had to ask what seemed at times to be the question of the day, "I mean, really like her?"

"Of course."

"What about Quinn?"

Both of their sights locked onto the head cheerleader of the cheerios...

Mitchell remembered what he had said to Kurt earlier. He wasn't ready to unload it on anyone else, though, "I'm over her, Mercedes. She obviously can't even stand me."

"But... I mean... the way you talked about her. The way that you zoned out when she was around. I'm not saying I've felt that way before, but I'm guessing it's not something that just goes away like it was nothing."

"It was just a crush."

"Still..."

"Quinn's in the past." Mitchell stated firmly, "Santana is the present."

"What about the future?"

"Who knows?"


	5. The Rhodes Not Taken

I'm in the process of trying to think of an actor that would fit the role of Mitchell. Any suggestions are welcomed. In fact, any suggestions are hoped for and encouraged. I also didn't think of this until I watched last night's episode, but I need a Finchel, Puckleberry name for Mitchell and Santana.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

_Missed something again?_

_Mitchell Marcus Mason is the new kid. It hasn't been easy. But, things started looking up when he officially joined the Glee club and even started a relationship with Santana Lopez. Of course, he doesn't know that the relationship is only a cog in the clockwork mechanism that is set to destroy Will Schuester. Oh, plus now he has a job working at the Hospital where Quinn has started going because of her pregnancy._

_Yeah, that's what you missed._

**Chapter 5- "The Rhodes Not Taken"**

Well, he hadn't received his first paycheck yet, but there was already significant progress in the relationship that was Mitchell Mason and Santana Lopez. Currently, they were out on a date to the local mall. Not the most romantic or intimate situation, by any means, but something was better than nothing. And, truth be told, the make-out sessions were starting to get a little old. Despite how incredibly stupid that sounded.

By the by, Brittany was in the background.

"So, this is nice." Mitchell commented randomly, walking side by side with his girlfriend, trying to ignore the way her eyes darted around to make sure no one noticed they were actually walking together.

"When do you get paid, again?"

"Next Friday." he responded while checking out a Rock Band 3 set-up, "Star power! Star power!"

"IT'S NOT CALLED STAR POWER IN ROCK BAND, IDIOT!" random somebody.

"_Next_ Friday?" did Santana hear that right? No way, she must not have. There was no possible way that her gifts were going to have wait more than another entire week. Not a chance.

"Yep." he answered simply enough, "Mr. Sanders said that it's like that with most jobs. You don't usually get paid until the second week or later."

Santana just shook her head, releasing an annoyed sigh. Another dozen or so steps and they passed a jewelery store with the obligatory big display in the front window. Her attention was stolen by a sight so beautiful, so alluring. It was as if she had been somehow magically drawn to it by a higher power.

"That! I want that!"

"That?" Mitchell gulped, looking at what Santana and now Brittany were eyeing. "Are we... uhhh... Are we sure about that?"

"Dead sure." Santana proclaimed, "Buy me it."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee Club:::**

New Directions had just blasted through another rehearsal performance. It wasn't the greatest, though. There seemed to be no avoiding the glaring hole that Rachel Berry had left when she quit the club. Even with the addition of two new members, Mike and Matt. Adding insult to injury, the kids just hadn't done that great of a job and to make matters worse... Quinn excused herself in the middle of everything. Apparently, a run to the bathroom was in order.

This caught Mitchell's attention. Was she actually sick?

"That sucked." Tina's blatant summary of the rehearsal. An opinion shared by all.

"We need Rachel back." Mitchell stated, receiving a scoff and head-turn from Santana. "Sorry."

"Dude, grow a pair." Puck was annoyed, as always, "Stop apologizing to her every ten seconds. It's frickin' annoying."

"Back off, Puckerman." Santana's warning.

"We need to focus, guys!" Will grabbed their attention before things escalated.

"We can't without Rachel!"

"I understand." Will said, "I get what you're thinking. But, we need to move on. Rachel's made a decision to not only quit Glee but she's also decided to join the school musical. So, yeah, it sucks, but we need to move on. We've already wasted a lot of precious time on just gathering together."

"Not to mention that we still need another member." Kurt reminded.

The door opened and there was Quinn returning, "Sorry. Ugh, stay away from the school's breakfast menu."

"Are you alright?" Finn asked quietly.

"Yes."

Something was wrong with Quinn. Mitchell could sense it. Ahhh... Why did he care so much? It was probably nothing. He needed to stop thinking about Quinn and focus on Santana. After school, he was going to be working, earning money for her big gift. Though, he wondered if one paycheck would be enough.

**:::After School:::**

**:::The Hospital:::**

Mr. Sanders was just finishing his early afternoon shift at the register. In minutes, it would be time for Mitchell to step up to the plate. Per the usual, he was a little nervous. There was something to this job, though. There seemed a bit of a special energy flowing through the gift shop. Feelings of happiness and sorrow combined, as people would come in shopping for their loved ones that were staying at the hospital. Some were on their way out, while others still had quite some time to go. Mitchell felt like he was doing something decent and nice, which was just plain pleasant to feel.

A minute or two to spare, Mitchell noticed a certain someone through the glass window. It was Quinn. She was just entering the hospital.

"There _is_ something wrong with you." he had quickly exited the shop and confronted her calmly in the hall, "I knew it."

"Not now, Mitchell." the color in her face was off.

"Look, I know we're not friends, but..."

"Please..." it seemed almost like she had choked back a sob, turning in the opposite direction, "Not now."

And then she headed down the hall. Maybe she wasn't sick. Maybe she really was visiting someone. Maybe that someone was getting worse? Mitchell didn't have the answers, but he found himself wanting them. And, in that moment... he thought of someone that might have them...

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::McKinley High School:::**

"Finn..."

"Mitchell, what's up?"

Mitchell had caught up with Finn in the school halls in-between the second and third periods. The night before, Mitchell had asked Santana if something was up with Quinn. She said no, but mentioned Finn would probably know something if there actually was something, which there probably wasn't anything. Taking that confusing logic into consideration, Mitchell decided on asking Finn the million dollar question...

"Is something wrong with Quinn?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen her at the hospital twice." Mitchell explained, "And yesterday she ran out of rehearsal in the middle of a song."

Oh crap, was Mitchell figuring it out? Finn couldn't say anything, though. Quinn forbid him from doing so. "I don't know about the hospital, but yesterday she just needed to use the bathroom."

Fair enough, "She couldn't hold it in?"

"Hold it in? Dude, school food isn't something anyone can just hold in."

True. Finn did have a point there. Mitchell wanted to poke a bit more, but he knew better than to press the issue any harder. Still, he could just sense something odd about the whole situation lately. Mitchell and Finn went their separate ways next, each having different classes to attend before it was time for lunch.

"Hey, Rookie!" the unmistakable voice belonging to Noah Puckerman.

Mitchell stopped in his tracks, turning around, already dreading what could turn into a painful experience, "Yeah, man?"

Puck just looked at him for a moment after a breath. Like he were sizing him up. Of course, Mitchell's first day was fresh in both their minds. Though, maybe a bit fresher in Mitchell's considering it was he who had been dealt the black eye, "How is it between you and Santana?"

Puck was asking about his relationship with Santana Lopez? What was the _it_, exactly? "It's going good, I guess."

"You know she's just playing with you, right?" something that everyone had been wanting to say for the past week or two.

"Whatever." Mitchell scoffed and turned, but quickly felt a hand gripping his shoulder...

"Dude, I'm just trying to help you out here." somehow, Puck's words seemed too disingenuous to be taken seriously.

"You're just jealous." Mitchell claimed.

"Jealous?" Puck laughed.

"Yeah, she went to me right after you." Mitchell explained, "Jealousy ensues, and now you're trying to fill my head with nonsense." Truth be told, Mitchell was surprised he was standing up to Puckerman like he was. Of course, then came the regret right after he finished his last sentence.

"Fine." Puck shrugged, walking away, "Don't say I didn't give you the heads-up, though."

Granted, Mitchell was well aware that what he had with Santana Lopez was far from anything even the slightest bit remotely close to love. But, it didn't need to be. It was just two High School kids hooking up. Sadly, there hadn't been an actual hook-up yet. But, Mitchell was optimistic that there may be some sweet Santana lovin' in his future if he played his cards right.

And bought her a lot of expensive gifts.

That went without saying, though.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Another practice, rehearsal, group therapy session, whatever. The glee students had all gathered in the choir room as usual. Quinn and Finn sitting together, Mitchell and Santana doing the same. Puckerman was in the back with his arms crossed. As of yet, Mr. Schuester hadn't showed. A couple minutes into the class, the kids were starting to get a little worried...

"Did he ditch us, again?" Puck wondered.

"Doubtful." Kurt responded.

"Do people leave and come back a lot?" Mike asked Tina, Matt wondering the same thing.

"Tends to happen." her quick response.

"He's probably just running late." Artie's two cents.

"Artie's probably right." Mercedes.

"Speaking of running..." Mitchell decided to quip a bit, "... Am I the only one curious if Quinn is going to be running out of another rehearsal?"

"Mitchell." Finn scolded, "Not cool, man."

Quinn was surprised to hear that from Mitchell. And there she was starting to think he was different than the rest of the typical males populating McKinley.

Ahh, he didn't know exactly why he said it. He just felt like venting a little frustration. There was something going on with her, and more than likely it wasn't any of his business, but he wanted to get to the bottom of it. On the other hand, insulting her wouldn't help matters much at all.

Santana squeezed his hand a little tighter. She liked it when he was mean or just plain rude, despite who was on the receiving end.

Maybe it would help certain matters after all.

Five minutes had passed now.

"Maybe he was abducted by aliens?" Brittany's brilliance on display.

Another two minutes.

"What if he actually was?"

"I AM SO SORRY, GUYS." Mr. Schue finally entered, a young blonde woman who appeared too old to be a student, yet too young to be a member of the faculty, trailing behind.

"Mr. Schuester!" Brittany quickly ran up and hugged him, nearly crying, "We were so worried. Did they hurt you?"

"Ooookay..." he wasn't sure how to take that. Nonetheless, there was business to attend to. "I'm sorry I was late, everyone. But, let me quickly introduce to you the newest member of New Directions; April Rhodes!"

"Holy shit." Puck's eyes lit up like Christmas lights. Errr... maybe his particular pair of eyes wouldn't do that. Bad metaphor.

"Hello, everyone." April smiled brightly, producing a cute little wave.

Puck was hypnotized. Artie was hypnotized. Finn was hypnotized. Mitchell was also hypnotized.

Promptly, both Finn and Mitchell were smacked upside the head.

"Mr. Schuester - and I mean absolutely no offense here, April - But, isn't she too old?" Kurt asked.

"She..." Will was going to explain when April stopped him...

"Actually, I never graduated. So, I'm all clean and clear to join your club. Hopefully, you all will accept me?"

"We need to hear you sing first." Mercedes raised an interesting point. Despite her stunning looks, even the boys were skeptical and reluctant to just let this woman join with no questions asked.

"As you wish." April nodded.

"Don't forget the dancing." Puck added, everyone raising a brow at him, "What?"

April Rhodes then proceeded to roll through an amazing performance of 'Maybe This Time'. And, yeah, there was zero denying that she possessed a proverbial wealth of talent. But still, she wasn't Rachel.

Kurt started crying.

"Dude..."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::The Gift Shop:::**

Mitchell had been asked by Mr. Sanders to deliver flowers to a patient. It was an elderly woman that Mr. Sanders had talked to numerous times before. He wanted to do the delivery himself, but he just didn't have the time on this particular day, so he wanted Mitchell to take care of it. The bouquet had already been selected and put to the side, all Mitchell needed to do was bring it upstairs to where the in-patients rooms were located.

Locking up after placing a be back soon sign on the door, Mitchell was on his way to visit the woman. He had become sidetracked, however, when he spotted Quinn yet again, and this time she was speaking to hospital personnel. Her back was turned, so she hadn't seen him yet. Spying was wrong, but he saw no other option at the moment.

Quickly, Mitchell treaded lightly and nonchalantly over to a space pushed back for bathrooms and a water fountain in the middle. Was it called a water fountain? Or was it called something else? Oh god, why was he even thinking about that right then? Drinking fountain! It was a drinking fountain.

He stood just behind the corner, hoping and praying no one would notice him, as he listened to the conversation between this person and Quinn.

"It's just... all so new. I'm scared. I'm terrified." Quinn was saying, "I don't know. I've just been really emotional. It feels like my mind is changing every minute."

What was she talking about?

"That is all to be expected." the doctor explained, "But, not to worry, so far so good. Everything is fine. I have confidence that this pregnancy will go smoothly as far as the physical aspects of it."

Pregnancy? Wait... Pregnancy!

Wait... PREGNANCY?

Was Quinn pregnant? Mitchell didn't want to jump to any conclusions. But, was Quinn Fabray pregnant? But, she was in charge of the celibacy club. But...

"Mitchell!"

Torn from his thoughts, Mitchell froze with that bouquet of flowers being held tightly in his hands, "Umm... How's it goin'?"

She was scowling, "You were spying on me. How dare you?"

"You're pregnant?"

There was no use in denying it now, "Yes. But, you cannot tell a soul."

"I wasn't actually spying." he realized how flimsy that sounded after he said it, "Okay, I kinda was. But, it was accidental."

"Accidental? How does one accidentally spy on the other?"

Mitchell held up the flowers, "I'm supposed to give these to a woman here. I'm on my way now. I saw you... and the rest is history."

Quinn sighed. She didn't have the strength to be mad at him. She was tired, emotional, and not to mention feeling a little queasy. She just wanted to go home and fall asleep forever.

"Just... Don't tell anyone." she warned calmly, "I can't deal with everyone knowing right now."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee Club:::**

"Dude, it's 'cause she's pregnant."

The proverbial bombshell had been dropped and shrapnel exploded everywhere. Mitchell was in disbelief. Not twenty-four hours ago had Quinn distinctly instructed him not to say anything, did Puck go ahead and do it himself. A turn of events that would undoubtedly not sit well with the head cheerleader. She was out for the day, which prompted the conversation of why and how.

"I didn't notice the glow." Kurt realized, "Shouldn't she be glowing? Maybe I've been too self-involved to notice. Did anyone notice glowing?"

"She doesn't want anyone to know." Finn spoke up, "Dude, why would you tell everyone like this?"

"Seemed appropriate." Puck shrugged casually.

"Isn't she the head of celibacy club?" Tina asked.

"Yep."

"And the father is?" Santana wanted to know.

Finn raised his hand, Puck gestured to him with both.

"Why didn't she tell me?" Santana was confused.

"Isn't it obvious?" Puck retorted, "You talk too much."

Santana would have taken that seriously if not for the glaring fact that Puck had a chip on his shoulder ever since she dumped him and moved onto Mitchell.

"Wait, so don't you." Mitchell remarked, to which he instantly wished he hadn't when Puck started shaking his fist in a menacing manner.

Actually... Is there any other way to shake one's fist?

"All right, guys, we have a big performance coming up. So let's get right down to rehearsal." Mr. Schuester entered. Conspicuous by her absence was April Rhodes. He noticed everyone looking at him a bit cockeyed, so he took the opportunity to explain, "I know, I know. April's not here today. But, not to worry, I have it on good..."

"Does he know?" Puck asked Finn.

Finn didn't want to answer, but the answer became obvious due to his silence on the question.

"Dude, you blabbed?" Puck chuckled, "Weak!"

"You did too!" Finn responded.

"Yeah, but no one expects me to keep a secret." the mohawked jock explained honestly, "You're her boyfriend."

"We're talking about Quinn." Will concluded, "Okay, before anything else is said, let's just take a step back and look at this from her point of view. How would she feel about all of you gossiping about her like this?"

"She'd do the same damn thing." Santana commented.

"Why are you being snotty?" Mercedes asked the cheerleader.

"Snotty?" Santana repeated.

"Yes, snotty." Kurt supported his friend.

"She has a point, Kurt." Mitchell supported his girlfriend, "I know I haven't been here long, but Quinn seemed pretty nasty before she got knocked up."

As if on cue, Rachel entered the room, looking to rejoin the club, "Knocked up?" she asked, "Who is pregnant?"

Finn could foresee a disaster incoming. However, he hadn't realized just how disasterous it was going to be.

"Quinn." Puck answered casually with a smirk, finding some joy in this situation.

Rachel shifted her gaze to Finn, the hurt plain to see in her face. It felt as though her heart was literally sinking deeper into her chest. Last night... the bowling alley... the kiss they shared... it meant nothing to Finn. It was merely a desperate attempt to use Rachel's emotions against her to trick her into rejoining Glee. With this twisted turn of events, Rachel decided in that moment that she wanted absolutely nothing to do with Finn or the club.

Rachel turned on her heels, set to march out of the club yet again when Finn stopped her...

"Rachel." he approached from behind, "We need you."

"You don't." her words seemed to have a double meaning.

Finn was going to say something more when he was halted emphatically by Rachel slapping him right across the face, leaving a red and stinging mark where her hand had met his skin.

With that, she once again left the glee club.

"Dude, you're really screwing the pooch." Mitchell remarked.

"I love puppies." Brittany giggled.

Finn simply stood there in a daze, staring at the doorway that Rachel had just stepped through.

"I understand that we may be a bit distracted." Mr. Schuester spoke, "But, that performance of ours needs some work."

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Invitational:::**

Mitchell was nervous. It was something he shared with everyone, though, as they all gathered backstage. There was only one official member missing, and that was April Rhodes. This made everyone all the more nervous, as she had become the centerpiece to the performance.

"It's official; I'm not comfortable." Mitchell declared, finding himself dressed up in cowboy-esque clothing for what was not only the first but more likely than not, the only and last time as well.

"Stop bitching." Puck.

"Back off, Puckerman!" Santana snarled.

Didn't she already say that?

"Seriously, can someone explain to me why these two are even _still _together?"

"Leave them alone." Quinn was back in action, not yet privy to what was discussed in her absence, "You had your chance with her and you blew it. There are other fish in the sea."

"That's an expression I never pictured her using." Artie commented to Tina, with her nodding in agreement.

"Mr. Schuester, how long are we going to wait?" Kurt wondered, as was everyone else.

"She'll be..."

"HOWDY!" the entrance of one Ms. April Rhodes. Dressed in her outfit, it was very plain to see that she was completely hammered. She strutted right up to Puckerman and planted what could be described as an illegal kiss right on his lips.

"Oh my god!"

"That was awesome." Puck was all smiles, though the alcohol on her breath was a bit much.

"Mr. Schue..." Mitchell started.

Will didn't know what to do. With April being the centerpiece to the performance, kicking her out would then eliminate them in a heartbeat. It wasn't fair to the kids. They had worked so hard and put themselves through a tough last rehearsal, really trying their best to nail the routine. Trying to ignore regrets bubbling in his mind and heart, Will allowed the show to go on.

The glee club performed a very interesting rendition of 'Last Name'. Despite difficulties, they managed to push through it, with all them doing their part to make sure April stayed in line.

Mitchell's stomach had been so worked up that he instantly ran to the bathroom to throw-up. Along the way, he had ran by a curious Rachel Berry, who had watched the performance from off-stage.

"Where the hell did he go?" Santana and Brittany began the search for the disappearing Mitchell Mason.

The rest, as they say... is history. Seeing that she was in no shape to continue, Will felt he had no choice but to not allow April to go on again. She understood, saying that the kids were lucky to have such a good teacher that cared about them so much.

Then Rachel rejoined, as did Santana, Brittany and Mitchell. And 'Somebody to Love' was performed to perfection by the real and true...

William McKinley Glee club!

"I think you finally have your Glee Club." Emma said to Will as they watched the kids celebrate.

"I think you're right."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

_And another chapter is done. Much like the previous, I'm not crazy about it. I think it has its moments, but I was struggling through it for the most part. For a break, the next chapter is going to take place __**between episodes 5 and 6.**__ All __**NEW **__content. It'll focus mostly on Mitchell and Santana's relationship, as it's going to be called "Buy Me Things" . But, there's a very healthy dose of Sue as well. I want her presence to be felt even when she isn't directly in the scenes. _

_Think of it as slightly important filler._


	6. Buy Me Things

This turned out to be a lot shorter than I anticipated, but I think it still works. It's just more of an interlude than anything, really. Also, I've decided to unofficially announce that if you need a visual for Mitchell, then try to picture Jonathan Wright, with brown hair. He's from Spring Awakenings, which Lea Michele was a part of as well. Big thanks to Soulless Warlock for the idea.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

_Here's what you might have missed..._

_Mitchell has had some ups and downs as the new kid at McKinley. But, there's been more ups lately. To be specific, his relationship with Santana, and the Glee club finally coming together as one to put on an amazing performance at the Invitationals. However, despite all the goodness flowing, Mitchell has still been feeling something for Quinn._

_That's what you missed._

**Chapter 6- "Buy Me Things" (Original Chapter)**

Mitchell and Santana were currently in Santana's bedroom, kissing. To the side, Brittany was watching as if it was a Tuesday night TV show on Fox.

"Does she _always_ have to watch us?"

"Boyfriend, normal guys would get their zipper going at just the thought of another girl watching."

Mitchell accepted the answer, and the two of them resumed their make-out session. However, it was a mere thirty seconds or so later when another question needed to be asked...

"Does she have to eat chips, though?"

**:::McKinley High School:::**

"So, how do you personally think you've been doing lately?" Emma inquired, "I've heard good things from your teachers."

It had been awhile since Mitchell last visited the guidance counselors office. In fact, the previous was way back before he ended up coupling with Santana Lopez. While Quinn still lingered in his mind from time to time, Mitchell had been feeling pretty good as of late. What could he say? Between his relationship with Santana and Glee club finally united as one, the world was just a brighter place to be a part of these days.

"I think I've been doing good," his honest answer, "Glee's finally on the right track. Santana and I have a date tonight. My job's been easy. It's all good."

"I'm proud of you, Mitchell," Ms. Pillsbury smiled in that delicate way she had, "You've really started to come out of your shell."

"Thanks to Santana."

"And how have things been between the two of you?" Ms. Pillsbury wondered.

Mitchell shrugged, "She can kinda take some getting used to, I guess. But, I think things are only getting better."

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

"Progress report, Santana."

Santana Lopez had been ordered to the Cheerios Head Coach's office. Of course, it was painfully obvious what this meeting would entail. Sue would want some information regarding Santana's recent Mitchell Marcus Mason Mission. How far had they progressed? How much longer until the boy was destroyed?

"We have a shopping date, tonight," Santana spoke proudly, "His wallet will be officially drained."

Sue wanted more.

"Umm," Santana thought for a moment, "He's been a little meaner. I've talked to him about football, but he doesn't want anything to do with it. He's afraid of distracting himself from Glee."

"Okay," Sue nodded, "Not quite the level of forward movement I was looking for. But, I'm willing to accept it."

"I'm not sure that the glee club is going to be easy to take down anymore," Santana explained, "Everyone is a lot closer since King of the Drag Queens came back."

"Everyone?" Sue wanted clarification.

"I'm still on your side," Santana confirmed, "Brittany, too."

Sue sighed, "We've lost Quinn. Well, okay, let's re-adjust the mission parameters here. Listen," she leaned forward against the desk, "I'm going to need you to really put the screws to Stinky. Taking away a member of that curly-haired halfway homosexual's club now, will be an even bigger blow than before."

"How do I do that, though? I mean... He doesn't want to play football. He doesn't want to do anything to hurt his chances in Glee."

"I have confidence in you," Sue sat back with a satisfied smile, "You haven't let me down, thus far. I know you can do this. And, I know that because I am willing to reward you the role of Head Cheerleader if you succeed."

Head Cheerleader? For that prize, Santana would do anything.

**:::The Mall:::**

For what may have very well been the first time since their little dance in the choir room, Mitchell and Santana were by themselves. Well, in a sense, considering that they were inside of a crowded mall. With Mitchell's wallet filled with his earnings, the time had come to purchase Santana's first gift of many.

She was smiling, and dare Mitchell say that it suited her far better than the usual smirk she wore. She seemed genuinely excited, and happy to be around Mitchell. And, it should have felt good. It should have made the boy feel like a million dollars. But, it didn't.

"What?" she asked as they walked, noticing Mitchell's somber mood.

"Nothing." he shrugged.

It wasn't nothing. It hadn't really hit him until just then. This was the happiest Santana had ever been with him since they started dating. Ahhh... no, this was stupid. He knew what Santana was like. He had heard it from Kurt and the rest of his friends. Why was it bothering him all of a sudden? He tried blocking it out, pushing it as far away from his mind as he could.

They had arrived at the store, and tragedy struck violently.

Santana glared angrily at the empty showcase, marching into the store with a tightened jaw, eyes lit with an intense anger. She stomped over to the store Representative, "Where is it?"

"What?" the employee was unaware of what this cheerleader was referring to.

And why was she dressed in her uniform, anyway?

Mitchell took the initiative, "There was this really nice necklace in the window a couple weeks ago..."

"Oh," they nodded, "The Von Fleur. Yes, it was sold last night."

"You don't have more?"

"I'm sorry," they apologized, "That was the last of our inventory for now."

Santana was fit to be tied. Mitchell had to ask, "When will there be more?"

"We are expecting the next shipment in a month or two."

Santana damn near exploded on the spot, "A month or two! Bitch, I want my necklace now!"

"Whoah, whoah, okay." Mitchell nervously lead his girlfriend out of the store and a decent length away from it.

"Unbelievable!" Santana exclaimed, scoffing and crossing her arms.

"It's okay." Mitchell tried calming her down.

"Okay?" she questioned, people giving looks as they walked by, "Okay? Those people do not know the first thing about running a store! Because of them, I'm screwed out of my necklace! How is this okay?"

"We're in a mall," Mitchell offered in a calm voice, "Tons of different stores. There's bound to be something else."

"I don't want anything else!" she barked.

Oh how quickly this relationship was starting to sour, "Well... Let's grab something to eat. We might as well make the most of this night, right?"

"That's boring. Why would I wanna just hang out here?" Santana sighed, shaking her head, "I wanna go home."

Now Mitchell was sighing, "Everything they were saying is true."

"What?" she was confused, "What are you talking about?"

"You're just," Mitchell hesitated, "... Playing with me. You don't care about me. You don't care about us. I'm just a toy that you can mess around with until you're bored."

"Wait a minute..."

Mitchell interrupted, "I think I've pretty much known since we started dating. But... I..." he sighed, "Was just trying to ignore it."

"Hold up," Santana wasn't liking this at all, she could literally feel her cheerleading promotion slip through the cracks between her fingers, "Who is talking shit?"

"Doesn't matter." Mitchell shrugged, turning away and walking in the opposite direction.

Santana couldn't believe it. What the hell had just happened? Nobody walked out on her! Nobody! It just didn't happen! If anything, Santana Lopez walked out on them. Not the other way around. Not like this loser was doing to her.

Feeling depressed, his heart sinking, Mitchell was in the midst of marching his way right out of the mall, when a certain something caught his eye before he could reach the exit. It was a baby store, and there were these two little stuffed animal bears sitting in the corner of a display case. One blue and one pink. They weren't typical, as there was some kind of flashy stones in their eyes. Mitchell had no clue which ones they were.

They were pricey. Nothing too extravagant, but all the same. Of course, a certain someone popped into the boy's mind. A certain beautiful someone. He took one step before stopping himself. There was no reason for him to buy anything for Quinn, let alone her unborn child.

He sighed and walked away.

**:::McKinley High School:::**

"Mitchell?" Ms. Pillsbury was a bit surprised, "I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon. Is everything alright?"

His hair was a mess, clothes just as bad off, and he had an expression on his face that told the tale of a young man who hadn't received any sleep the previous night. In short, he looked horrible. He shuffled over to the chair on the opposite side of the desk and plopped down, sitting back and nearly falling asleep from exhaustion.

"I did something stupid," he whined, head going back, "Something really really stupid."

"Well," she took a closer look at his face, though not too close, "I don't see any black eyes or bloody lips, so I'm ruling out a confrontation with the football team."

"Remember how I said that Santana and I were going out on a date?"

Emma nodded.

Mitchell sighed, scratching the back of his head and rubbing the side fast for a moment - a nervous habit - and started the explanation, "I broke up with her."

"Oh no," Emma frowned, "Why would you do that?"

Mitchell sighed yet again, "Ever since we started dating, everyone else has been trying to warn me about her and how she can be. And... It wasn't so much that I didn't believe them, as I just... Ignored 'em. But, last night, like the second we stepped into the mall, it just hit me. She's not with me. We're not together. I mean, look at Finn and Quinn. They're together. They're a couple. Santana and I just felt like two people that happened to be standing next to each other."

Mitchell continued, "I was supposed to buy her something. I mean, it was the whole reason I got a job. They didn't have that thing she wanted. When that happened, she wanted nothing to do with me. She just wanted to go home. It completely validated everything that everyone had said."

Emma thought this over for a moment before saying anything, "What happened next?"

"I left."

"Mitchell, I'm surprised," she spoke thoughtfully, "The last time we spoke, you were so happy. Everything was good. I realize there is a degree of difficulty that comes with Santana, but it seemed like you had it handled very well."

Mitchell listened.

"Something else had to have happened yesterday." Emma raised an interesting point, "What was it?"

Mitchell shrugged, shaking his head.

"Mitchell..."

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

Sue Sylvester was not sitting down. Sue Sylvester was not happy, not content, not okay at all. She had just received word that her plan to take the glee club out of one Mitchell Marcus Mason had evaporated seemingly within the blink of an eye. It appeared as though, last night, a turn for the worse had come in the form of that stinky little lamb dumping the beautiful Santana Lopez like a bag of dirt in the field.

And, oddly enough, Santana seemed to genuinely be hurt. Granted, she wasn't crying or shedding a single stray tear to symbolize the sadness. But, there was something underneath, something quiet and afraid to come out.

That just wouldn't do at all.

"Stinky the Lamb is becoming a Schuester clone," Sue stated in pure disgust, "He's breaking you."

"I'm not broken." Santana proclaimed, sitting in the chair.

"Oh, Ms. Lopez, the undefeated streak is over," Sue remained standing, "The fat lady has sung. And her voice leaves a bitter taste in my mouth that a thousand power rinses couldn't wash out."

"Can't I hit on someone else?" Santana wondered, "It would totally be scandalous if Mr. Schuester and I got _friendly_."

Sue raised an intrigued brow, "Tempting, but no. He would never. Besides, it's obvious to anyone with at least one decent eyeball that he's head over heels for one Emma Pillsbury. Speaking of undefeated streaks, I can only imagine that if there were an award for America's Top Prude, she would be crowned and successfully defend her title for at least two decades straight."

"Now," Sue got back on track, "Where is that Santana Lopez? I can't find her anywhere."

Santana raised her hand.

"You?" Sue questioned, "No, not you. You're not her. You're not the young lady that would do absolutely anything she had to to survive in the jungle that is William McKinley High School. You are not the young lady who seeks to usurp - yeah, that's right, usurp - the reigning Head Cheerleader. You are not the vivacious little vixen that I trusted to cripple a Lamb named Stinky."

"I am!" Santana boldly stated, standing, "I can still do this."

"Be that as it may, we can't officially tackle the problem until we know exactly what happened."

"He thinks I'm just messing with him," Santana explained, "When they didn't have the necklace I wanted, I didn't see the point in staying on a shopping date when no shopping was taking place. The next thing I know, he walked out."

"That's not it," something didn't add up, "He had to already be aware of the nonsense. He didn't seem to care about it before."

Santana was confused, "Well then, what the hell?"

**:::Flashback:::**

There was a bus stop in front of the hospital. Currently, that's where Mitchell was stationed with a shiny new paycheck in his hand. He would finally be able to buy Santana that necklace. Hopefully she would be happy with it, wear it wherever she went and tell people who bought it for her. Maybe that was a little selfish, but he didn't care. The most important thing was making her happy, no matter how superficial said happiness was.

"Hey, Mitchell."

Mitchell looked over his shoulder to find Quinn standing there, "Oh, hey."

"What are you doing?" she wondered, taking a seat beside him.

He proudly showed off the paycheck, "Gonna buy my baby some stuff."

Quinn partly smiled, "Ah, I see."

"How are you doing?"

"Good."

He was used to her rushing by him at this point in the conversation, "Don't you have to..." he gestured to the building.

"I'm actually a few minutes early," she revealed, "For once."

A quiet moment or two passed as did the cars driving by. Strangely enough, it was comfortable. The silence was broken, however, by Quinn...

"Are you sure you want to spend all your money on her?" she realized how cold that sounded, "I mean... You earned it. Why not spend it on yourself?"

He moved his shoulders, "Yeah, why?"

Quinn wasn't sure if she wanted to say what she was about to say, but she felt obligated in some way, "She doesn't actually like you."

Mitchell groaned under his breath, not in the mood to hear this right now.

"I'm serious," Quinn pressed, "She's just playing around with you. You're like a toy for her to mess around with until she gets bored."

"I know, I know." he was annoyed, "It doesn't matter, though."

"It should," Quinn found herself feeling good for being genuine rather than spiteful, "The second she gets back in the mood, she's going to jump back to Puck."

"Why do you care?"

She hesitated before answering, "Ever since I got pregnant... I've just felt... _different_. I don't want to be like I was before. I'm not saying I'm interested in becoming Little Miss Sunshine, but..."

The bus had just turned down at the end of the street, it would arrive in a matter of seconds. Mitchell stood, ready for it to take him away.

"You seem like a decent guy, Mitchell," the bombshell dropped, "You should be with someone that actually likes you, too. Trust me, a one-sided relationship isn't worth it, no matter what you're getting out of it."

"I gotta go."

"Me too." Quinn stood as well, heading for the hospital entrance with a goodbye.

Mitchell stopped as his foot touched the second step on the bus. Quinn stopped just before reaching the automatic doors. In that second, they looked back over their shoulders, glancing at each other for just the slightest of seconds.


	7. Vitamin D

The Glee Club has a new member in this. Thanks to Soulless Warlock for letting me use his creation, Jack Harmon. Now, if you have even the slightest bit of interest in how I write the character or not, then let me direct you to his creator's page, where you can read all about him.

This is my last update before the big holiday, so Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it. Fingers crossed, one of my presents will be the first season of Glee, so the chapters should be better starting with the next update.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 7- "Vitamin D"**

Life sucked.

Mitchell slowly shuffled his way into the glee room while everyone else waited. He waved his hand in a lazy manner and took the seat furthest away from Santana, which ended up being entirely too far away from everyone else and way too close to the door. For the moment, though, he was content.

"You alright, Mitchell?" Mr. Schuester asked.

"Just tired." he mumbled in return, slouching back in the chair.

"Fair enough." Will then directed his attention towards the entire club, "I've decided to try something a little different. We are going to have ourselves a little competition. Men versus the women."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" who else but Rachel, "Dividing us when we should stay united?"

"Does your mouth _ever_ close?" Santana chimed in.

"Sadly, I have to agree with Rachel," Kurt spoke, "We're finally on the same page, Mr. Schuester. Wouldn't a competition threaten our new-found unity?"

"You guys are on a streak," he explained, "The Invitationals performance was great, rehearsals have been stellar since, and we got lucky with the draw for Sectionals. The past few days, though, you've been waltzing in here like Sectionals is in the bag."

"It pretty much is." Rachel again.

"Take nothing for granted," Will reminded them all, "Anyway, I want to see some fire in you guys. So, this competition is men versus women with mash-ups. Plus, the winners will be selecting our main song at Sectionals."

That actually sounded pretty good.

"How do we decide who wins?" Finn asked through a yawn.

Will snapped his fingers and smirked, "Mystery judge."

Mystery judge?

"Okay, I guess everyone else is just gonna ignore it," Puck stood rather abruptly, "Why the hell are Finn and Mitchell practically falling asleep?"

"I'm worn out." Finn responded easily enough.

Mitchell was snoring.

"If I may," Santana raised her hand proudly, "Newbie's exhausted from regret."

"Regret?" Will wondered, "Did I miss something?"

"Mantana is no more." Artie revealed.

"I preferred Sitchell, myself." Kurt's turn, "Regardless, that is why Mitchell's been so out of it. I'm not sold on regret, however."

"Then what else would it be, Tinkerbell?" Santana snapped.

Tinkerbell?

"Okay, okay, okay," Will settled everyone down, "While we're in this room, let's focus on glee. So, with that said, split into your groups and start working on what your mash-ups will be."

The students complied with the request. Since Mitchell was fast asleep, the guys decided on just huddling around him as if he was a quarterback.

The guys started going over their plans when Matt spoke up, "Shouldn't we wake him up?" referring to Mitchell.

Puck just shrugged, "What's the point? He'll just fall asleep again, anyway."

"Dude..." Finn nudged Mitchell awake, "If I can't sleep, neither can you."

Mitchell shook the cobwebs out and sat up a little straighter, though not too much so. Of course, the first thing he spotted was the picture-esque scenery of one Quinn Fabray. If only she hadn't said what she did at the bus stop, if only she hadn't crossed his path that day. It was her fault that his relationship with Santana had ended. It was her fault that he had returned to the land of loser-ville. It was her fault that undoubtedly, he would be receiving a slushie attack sometime during the course of the day.

If only she hadn't said that he was a decent guy. If only she hadn't shown him a sliver of hope.

Kurt noticed it right off the bat. Those eyes, that frown, the subtle body movements. The reason that Mitchell and Santana were no more was because the Quinn Fabray crush had returned. He could see it a mile away. Granted, it wasn't until he was a couple feet away from Mitchell that he noticed.

Meanwhile...

"What happened between you guys?" Quinn asked Santana as Rachel spun into a rant over what their selections should be for the mash-up.

"I got bored." Santana's easy answer.

"I heard different," Quinn smirked in a subtle manner, "I heard he dumped you in the middle of the mall."

"You heard wrong," Santana retaliated, "I dumped his ass and he went wee-wee-wee all the way home."

"That's not what I heard." Quinn kept it up, feeling good that someone had actually said no to the undefeated Santana Lopez. Scratch that, formally undefeated.

"Remember when you used to be a bad ass?" Santana mentioned, catching Quinn's attention, "Well, please do let me know when _that _Quinn Fabray comes back. Because this new version sucks donkey balls."

Donkey balls?

"Any objections?" Rachel asked the group who hadn't paid any attention to a single word.

"No." they all answered in unison.

"Splendid." she beamed.

"Wait," Tina whispered in Mercedes' ear, "How can we practice if we have no clue what songs we just agreed to?"

Mercedes simply shrugged.

**:::After Glee:::**

Mitchell was on his way to his locker to grab a book he needed for the next class when he was stopped short by the one and only, Santana Lopez. He wasn't sure exactly what she could want from him, but it was safe to assume that it wouldn't be anything pleasant...

For the first moment or two, she merely stared with her hands on her hips. It wasn't until after a little bit of intimidation had been put into place that she finally began, "I don't get you, Triple M."

Triple M?

"I mean, what's your damage?" she was trying to clearly understand why he had given up on them, "You're not like other boys here. I know a lot of girls dig on that, but not me. You're strange, you're weird, you make me sick. You make me want to have my own eating disorder, just so I have a decent excuse to throw-up more."

Confidence at an all-time low. Self-esteem decreasing rapidly. Pride and dignity also depleting faster than your health in an online shooter when your thumb happens to slip and you accidentally turn your soldier the wrong way.

"Explain yourself."

Explain himself? What else was there to explain? It was very obvious to see that she wanted nothing to do with him. So, with that clearly stated... What the hell did she want to do with him?

"You don't like me at all," he tried to make sense of it, "The only time it didn't feel like I was torturing you was when we were talking about me getting you a gift."

"You're a quitter," Santana inched closer, moving Mitchell up against a locker that wasn't his own, "I don't like quitters."

"Then why are you talking to me now?" what in the world was going on?

"There's something inside _here_," she smirked seductively, walking two fingers up from Mitchell's stomach to his chest, then along his neck until they touched his chin, "And I have every intention of taking it out."

"My heart?" Mitchell gulped, fearful for his life at this point, "You don't plan on eating it after... Do you?"

"Silly boy," Santana planted a kiss on that boy that could have melted Iron Man's armor down into nothing more than a puddle of goo, "You know what I mean. Dinner at your house, tonight."

Mitchell gulped once more, watching as Santana walked away, swaying her hips in a manner that grabbed the eyes and hearts of every male student who happened to be in the vicinity. Well... Almost every single male student...

"You've soiled my locker," a smooth voice spoke from the side, "Now, if this was any other school, I would call for a janitor. But, this isn't any other school. Our guidance counselor is far more in-tune with the cleaner side of life."

"Who are you?" Mitchell asked, quickly pulling away from said locker.

"Who am I?" the student asked, "Who are you?"

"Mi..."

"Wait," he pointed, "I know who you are." he then sniffed the air around them, "_Stinky_? Hmmm... I thought I would be impressed. Or at the very least... intrigued. Alas, I am not. Very much underwhelmed. Meeting you for the first time has been a very underwhelming experience."

This kid made Mitchell long for the taunts and torments of Santana.

"But, fear not, Lamb-Chop!" he smiled in a strange way that seemed genuine yet fake all at once, "Today is your lucky day. I have come to your aid."

Mitchell didn't know what to say.

"Jack Harmon," he introduced himself, "I'd shake your hand, but it was just touching a Cheerio. And I am very much not a fan. Besides, your hand... Ew... who knows?"

"Is this going anywhere?" Mitchell wondered, "Because I actually have to go somewhere."

Jack gestured for Mitchell to lead the way, and followed, "I am assuming by the drastically recent defiling of my locker that you and Shore Leave are back together?"

"I don't know." honesty from Mitchell, "Wait... _Shore Leave_?"

"You want her," Jack kept on, "You need her. Blah blah blah, it's all so boring. But!" his voice picked up, "I can make it official."

"Official?" what was he talking about, "It's hopeless. She doesn't actually like me. I'm not sure if I even like her."

They took a corner and finally arrived at Mitchell's locker, "Hence, my proclaiming with the upmost confidence that I can make it official."

Wasn't getting through.

"I can make her like you." Jack spelled it out.

Mitchell found his book and shut the locker, leaning back against it, "You can make her like me?"

"Mm-hm." Jack nodded as if it was the equivalent of saying the sky was blue.

Possibly a moment of truth for Mitchell. He left Santana because he was shown a glimmer of hope that maybe down the road there may have been something between he and Quinn. A glimmer of hope that may not have even been real. And, even if it was, possibly never truly realized. With Quinn, he was grabbing at straws, waving his hands at shooting stars. With Santana, there was a chance. Maybe she was playing with him, but she had to have felt something. If nothing else, at least he wasn't the loser that was always alone. It also spared him random slushie attacks.

"Hello?" Jack was snapping his fingers back and forth, "Is the transmission clear?"

"Why would you help me?"

"I auditioned for the glee club," Jack explained, "You would have known that, but you were absent yesterday."

"Talking to Ms. Pillsbury, actually."

"Regardless," Jack shook his head, "You were not there."

"Mr. Schuester doesn't reject anyone. Everyone who auditions gets to join. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Worrying about something and my concerns joining the club are two very different things. I have no doubt in my mind that I would be an extremely valuable asset. However, that said, I have my _concerns_. Such as, I am _concerned _that there is going to be a vote _concerning_ my membership."

"Dude, he doesn't reject anyone." Mitchell knew that as the truth, "The Headless Horseman could audition and he'd get in. No worries."

"Again," Jack reminded, "I am not worried."

"You want me to make sure that you get in without any hitches?"

Jack let out an over-exaggerated sigh of relief, "Oh man, thank goodness. For a second there, I was starting to think I may have been talking to a robot. Now, let's start off with a few quick tips for tonight. Ready, Bambi?"

"Bambi?"

"You're very Deer in the Headlights."

This guy was going to take some serious getting used to.

**:::That Night:::**

It had to be the first time that Mitchell had ever personally gone through - what felt like - every square inch of his house and cleaned it. And, you know what, he was excited.

_**"First and foremost, by the grace of whatever god it is that you worship, be clean."**_

Mitchell was dressed in his best. At least, what he was hoping was his best. All black. Oh god, he was dressed to go to a funeral. Would this be a funeral of sorts? Was Santana preparing to drop a hammer down upon him? Did he like her or didn't he? What was going through his mind? Why didn't he know?

"You okay there, Mitch?" his father's voice.

Apparently, Mitchell had been pacing nervously just behind the front door for ten minutes straight.

_**"Do not be nervous. That whole nervous and shy act would work on others, but not this girl."**_

"You're not nervous because your mom and I are meeting this girl for the first time, are you?" his father smiled like it was a joke.

"_A_ girl, Dad." Mitchell corrected, "First girlfriend. First meeting. First everything."

His dad chuckled, "There's nothing to be nervous about."

Mitchell just shook his head, sighing. There was everything to be worried about. Ever since he ended it with Santana, he had been regretting it. There would never be anything with Quinn. Somehow, he just knew that deep down. She was pregnant and Finn was the father. It just wasn't in the cards.

The doorbell took him away from his thoughts and he turned towards the door, reaching to the handle...

_**"You know how some people think it's right to make someone wait at the door? Yeah, don't be any bigger of an idiot than you already have been. Let her in the house immediately."**_

As soon as Mitchell opened the door, you could have knocked him over with a feather. Santana Lopez was standing there, but she wasn't. It wasn't her. It wasn't _the_Santana Lopez. It was like a doppelganger, a fake, a phony. She was dressed very much like a lady, with her hair carefully taken care of, make-up just so, and this beautiful dress. She was... _stunning_, to say the least.

_**"It doesn't matter if she looks like a garbage disposal clog or a freakin' angel. Compliment her!"**_

"You look..." he was almost breathless, "... Incredible."

"Thank you, baby." she smiled in a cute manner and placed a quick peck on his cheek.

Wait... did she just... _huh_?

In the next room, Mitchell's parents watched with happy expressions. Mitchell hadn't said how gorgeous this girl was and how much she was obviously taken with him.

"Santana, my parents," he introduced, feeling a little woozy, "My parents, Santana."

"A pleasure to meet the both of you." she smiled sweetly, "You two must be so proud of Mitchell."

What? Hold on... Okay, what the hell? Why was she acting like this? Okay, maybe it was obvious that she was in the midst of impressing Mitchell's parents. But, why? Did... She didn't... But why... Crap, it was like the friggin' Twilight Zone or something.

The dinner came and went smoothly. Too smoothly. Santana was like a saint. Totally not her. Mitchell was a mess inside his head the entire night. He couldn't calm down, couldn't come close to settling. His mind was reeling from the shock of it all. He didn't trust her, but why go through all of this? Why go to this much trouble just to play with someone's head? It didn't make sense.

At the end of the night, Mitchell and Santana were outside on the front steps, Santana wearing one of Mitchell's extra jackets.

"This was nice." Santana commented, breaking the camel's back in the process.

"That wasn't you!" Mitchell snapped, whispering aggressively, "This isn't you! What are you trying to do? If you screw with my head anymore, I won't have one left."

Santana's sweet smile transformed into one of mischief, "You're not as dumb as you look."

What the hell!

**:::Different Day:::**

**:::Glee Club:::**

They're back together? Why the heck are they back together? How was it possible that Mitchell and Santana had already reunited? The rest of the glee club could not believe their eyes when they witnessed the two of them walk hand in hand into the choir room. Especially Quinn, considering the short but significant talks she had shared with Mitchell before and after her appointments.

Mitchell quickly left his girlfriend's side and approached Mr. Schuester, taking him aside and out of earshot,

"Everything okay, Mitchell?"

"Ummm," he started, "I heard about somebody else auditioning for Glee when I was in Ms. Pillsbury's office the other day?"

"Oh," Mr. Schue nodded, "That would be Mr. Harmon. Why do you ask?"

Mitchell looked around then back to the teacher, "I thought you accepted everyone?"

"I do," he gestured to himself and then to everyone else, "They don't."

"Am I missing something?"

"Everyone," Mr. Schuester wrangled in their attention, "Mitchell here is curious as to why Jack Harmon hasn't been welcomed into New Directions."

"He is the devil." Kurt muttered.

"I was thinking more... anti-christ." Puck followed.

"He once _borrowed_ my wheel chair so he could know what it felt like to have all the best parking spots in Lima."

"He's cruel." Mike was quick to the point.

"Very cruel." Matt agreed.

"Jack-Ass, is more like it." Santana spat. Back to her old self.

"He can never remember any students' name." Tina added, "I know that doesn't sound bad, but he uses these awful nicknames instead..."

"He's the male version of Rachel." Mercedes' contribution.

"He isn't so bad," Quinn was a little softer than the rest, "But, I admit, he can be evil when he feels like it."

"Evil things scare me." Brittany.

"Dude's got issues." Finn said, a lot more awake than the other day, "And he's practically racist."

"He is just what we need to push ourselves over the top," Rachel stood, joining Mitchell and Mr. Schue at the head of the class, "That is why I have been campaigning this past week for his membership. Trust me, I've seen him in action..."

"We have all seen him in action," Kurt reminded, "That's the problem."

"He can sing beautifully," Rachel stated, "He's a natural-born entertainer." . She turned to Will, "Mr. Schue, I really think you should let him join."

"No!" the rest of the club.

"You guys," Mitchell spoke up, "We all have our issues, right? But, if we're able to come together, then why can't we do the same with Jack? Besides, how bad can he be?"

"Mitchell's right," Rachel, "We're all misfits in one way or another."

"Will you two shut up if we say yes?" Puck asked.

"There's a good chance." Rachel felt victorious as Jack was voted in.

"Well, I guess that settles..." Will found himself interrupted...

"Let's get right down to business," as if on cue, Jack entered the room, embracing Rachel with a very quick hug before addressing everyone else, "I understand that many of you doubt me. To be fair, I doubt all of you as well, especially a select few. But, do trust me when I tell you all now that my top priority will always be the good of this club. No matter what I do, from here on out in relation to Glee, will be for its own personal betterment."

This already seemed like a huge mistake. But, Mr. Schuester did know that Jack had a natural talent. And, they could use every ounce of raw talent that they were able to get their hands on, "Okay, well, right now we're in the middle of an assignment. Males versus females in a mash-ups competition."

"I'll sit this one out," Jack responded, "It wouldn't be fair to the women for the men to have this new ace up their sleeves. That being said, I will judge."

"Judge?" that wasn't sitting well with Will, "Not to be rude, but we already have a judge lined up."

"Then have more than one," simple enough, "Honestly, my expertise and constructive criticism could do wonders here."

So, Jack Harmon was officially a member of the glee club. Only one person seemed genuinely thrilled, and that was Rachel Berry. Mitchell couldn't shake the feeling that he had just made a horrible mistake.

**:::After Glee:::**

"Hey," Mitchell jogged down the hall to catch up with Jack after the club was finished, "You still owe me."

"How so?"

"Santana pulled a 180 last night," Mitchell explained, "Your tips didn't matter. She was a completely different person during dinner."

"Not my problem." Jack responded as he walked away.

"Not your problem," Mitchell repeated, following him, "Dude, I got you into the club."

"Because I helped you with your lady troubles. Although, I use the term _lady _very loosely."

"Look," Mitchell boldly stepped in front of Jack, stopping him in his tracks, "I need more help. And, you're the first person I've met that's one-hundred percent objective on the subject."

"True," Jack agreed, "I don't much care for either of you. However, if what you say is true and she has pulled a 180, then I'm really no use to you in that department. I was in the midst of prearing you for girl everyone knows, not one only you know."

"So... You got what you wanted, and now you're bailing?"

Jack shook his head, disagreeing, "Not bailing. Merely... Exhibiting a general lack of further interest."

Perfect.

The two of them went their separate ways.

Mitchell then traveled down the halls a little more until being approached yet again. This time, by none other than his girlfriend, Santana.

"I had an idea," her greeting...

"Why did you act that way at dinner?' Mitchell blurted, perhaps a bit too loudly for Santana's tastes.

She quickly pulled him into an empty janitor's closet, shutting the door behind, "Loud much?"

"I need to know!" he kept his voice at a minimum volume.

Santana sighed, crossing her arms, eyes focusing on Mitchell's own, "This is hard for me to admit... But, I really do like you."

Had Mitchell's hearing failed him? Was he hallucinating? Was he actually in some dream? More importantly, was she actually telling the truth? Through all of the nonsense, had Santana actually started to like him?

"You treat me differently than everyone else," Santana's confession continued, "You don't judge me as much. I feel comfortable around you. Sometimes when you look at me... You're not looking at me like I'm the bitch, or a slut. It's nice, I like it. I like being around you. I just didn't notice until after we split."

A goofy little smile started to move its way across the boy's lips, a warm feeling sneaking inside. Yet, he found some difficulty in completely believing her, "Still, the other night..."

"Would your parents be impressed with the real me?" a little of that attitude returned, "Doubtful."

"This is a lot," Mitchell took a step back, his mind trying to process all this new information, "So... You actually want this to work?"

Santana nodded innocently.

In his mind, Mitchell was supplied an image of Quinn standing alone with an inviting smile upon her face. The problem being, she was moving back farther and farther away while a new image of Santana came running forward. Quinn was still in the background, though. And maybe... she would always be. But, wasting his time lusting over her wasn't going to be healthy at all. Mitchell needed to move forward. He needed to move past his infatuation with Quinn.

He needed to focus on someone who actually was able and wanted to be with him.

Both smiling, Mitchell and Santana hugged each other in that closet.

Unbeknownst to Mitchell, though, a devilish smile crept onto Santana's face while she looked the other way during the hug.

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_Another chapter in the books._ _I know I only barely touched upon the actual storyline from the episode, only because the ending was going to end up a little too disjointed, if that makes any sense. And yes, Mitchell and Santana are back together, and just as it seems (HOPEFULLY) that Santana may turn a new leaf, we find out that it's all courtesy of her original plot with Sue. No, she doesn't really like Mitchell._

_Side-Note, I've written out the entire outline for the first season and have started working on "ADPOV: What We Did On Our Summer Vacation." Which will feature Mitchell, but the other characters will have starring roles and chapters solely dedicated to them. After that, I will be uploading the Season Two of ADPOV. That isn't until much much much later, though. I have outlines of the 1st season and the summer fic, but I have not even begun to even fantasize what Mitchell's storyline will be for the 2nd season._

_Lastly, another thank you to Soulless Warlock. Read his Glee fics, you will not be dissapointed. Plus, you get to read Jack Harmon as he was meant to be read. And that's pretty cool by itself._


	8. Throwdown

I've got the DVDs! Whoo! I've decided to go with some dialogue from the show, but only in certain parts, and more or less just to get the ball rolling for some scenes. But, the main thing helping me with having the DVDs is the structure and pacing. I'm not going on just memory and the glee wiki now. My original scenes can be injected in a bit more smoothly now.

One last note, I'm calling it quits with saying :::Different Day:::.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 8- "Throwdown"**

Did you ever wake up one morning with an epiphany? Did you ever have the sunshine pry your eyes open and fill your mind with an idea? One that you couldn't believe you hadn't thought of beforehand? Well, that happened to Quinn Fabray one particular morning. She slipped out of a bed with a new resolve settling into her heart.

Rachell Berry. Man-Hands. Stubble. Rupaul.

If Quinn didn't do something fast, Rachel effing Berry was going to steal Finn away. Quinn could see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice; Despite already being tied to Quinn, Finn was becoming more and more enamored with Rachel. It was a problem. A huge problem. It was as if Quinn could literally feel Finn slipping right through her fingers. Something needed to be done to prevent this.

It was the Glee club. It was New Directions. If it wasn't for that stupid club, none of this would be happening at all. There was no other connection between Finn and Rachel. Therefore, Quinn knew what she needed to do. She needed to follow-up and follow-through with the original plan set forth by one Sue Sylvester.

Glee club was about to be assassinated. Welcome back; Quinn Fabray.

**:::High School:::**

Another seemingly random day at William McKinley High School. The birds were chirping, the bees were buzzing, the slushies were in full-effect and a porta-potty was knocked over by the jocks. All in all, business as usual. Well, except for the glaring and quite alarming fact that Mitchell Marcus Mason currently had his head in the locker like he was an Ostrich burying its head in the ground.

"Something the matter, Mitchell?" Kurt approached.

"No." Mitchell moaned and whined, his voice echoing just a little from inside the locker.

Kurt raised a curious brow, "The fact that you're in the midst of an Ostrich impersonation... begs to differ."

Mitchell sighed, showing a troubled expression as he took his head out of the locker and then leaned back against it, "Last night was a bad night." he paused before shooting for some emphasis, "Very bad."

"Care to share?"

Mitchell shrugged, "Kinda personal."

"But, if it's troubling you this much..." Kurt was merely trying to be helpful.

Mitchell let out a second sigh, a hand going over his face and hair, "I had a dream about Quinn."

Kurt chuckled, "That doesn't sound so bad. Was it... Of the dirty variety? Actually... no... don't tell me."

"It wasn't," Mitchell sighed a second time, "It was just... good. We were together. Just talking... holding hands... being corny. It was all sunshine and daisies."

"That isn't good, Mitchell," Kurt was being honest, "You're with Santana now. And, as much as I am distrustful of that woman, you need to stay on track with her. If that's what you want, of course."

"It's just..." Mitchell hesitated, "Just when I think I'm over her, something happens. And, when it does, I can't stop thinking about her."

**:::Glee Club:::**

Due to the recent debacle that was the boys versus girls mash-ups competition, Principal Figgins had made a bold move. Figgins had decided to designate Cheerios Head Coach, Sue Sylvester, as Co-Director of New Directions. It pretty much went without saying that there was a general sense of apprehension amongst the club, even with the newly acquired Jack Harmon.

And Currently, all the kids were witness to a decisive split. Coach Sylvester was in favor of splitting the group into two. She already had a name picked out for her side. This didn't sit well with Will in the least. But, Sue made a valid argument, and what's done is done. Will's hands were tied at the moment.

Mitchell instantly assumed that he would not be chosen by Sue, and that she would pick all the Cheerios to be on her team. In a strange way, he saw this as a break. No doubt, he would receive a little time away from the objects of his affection. A nice little rest. He smiled slightly at the thought, which garnered a cockeyed look from Santana.

"Santana!" and the picking commenced, "Wheels! Gay Kid! Asian and the Other Asian! Aretha and Shaft!"

Jack was laughing so bad, that he had tears in his eyes.

Oh no, this wasn't good at all. Mitchell was left to fend for himself on Quinn's team, while Santana was whisked away. She didn't seem to care one bit, either. Maybe he was just a little too jumpy. Needed to relax. This was okay. What was the worst that could happen?

Now this _really _wasn't sitting well with Will at all. And just when he thought it couldn't become anymore aggravating, Sue gave him a sharp little jab...

"Ya see, Will, if there's one thing that I can't stand to see happen; It's the erosion and utter decimation of minority rights and contributions," she laid it on really thick, "Therefore, I've decided to guide and nourish the talents that you have very coldly and blatantly ignored."

"How dare you?" Mr. Schuester was fit to be tied, "How do you sleep at night? This is so wrong, Sue. I mean... this has to be joke."

Sue shook her head, "I couldn't be more serious, Will. Maybe bigotry and prejudice is a source of the haha's for you - maybe that's how you get your curly-haired kicks - but to this concerned teacher... It's no laughing matter."

"And that's how Sue," Santana made a C with her hand and fingers, "Sees it!"

"The people have spoken!" Sue raised her hands in confidence.

**:::The Halls:::**

"Mitchell, Mitchell!"

Mitchell looked over his shoulder to spot Rachel Berry keeping a brisk pace to catch up with him, "Yeah?"

They walked together, "I'm in dire need of support."

"Sounds... _dire_." he joked, laughing proudly.

"It is," Rachel saw the humor, but maintained a serious attitude, prompting Mitchell to clear his throat and match the emotion, "I would like to know what you would do if you were me."

"Okay..." he wasn't sure where this was going, but he wanted to help out if he could.

"As we all know - well all as in those of us in New Directions - a certain somebody is pregnant." she explained slowly and carefully, her voice not going too loud.

"Yeah."

"There's a chance the whole school could find out very soon."

"Who's gonna tell?" Mitchell suddenly felt the urge to protect Quinn and maybe lay some hurt down. If he was even actually capable of doing either.

"_Jacob_," Rachel whispered, "But, he won't if I do a favor for him."

"What's the favor?" Mitchell knew Jacob, and it was clear to any and everyone that as much as Mitchell was infatuated by Quinn, Jacob felt the same way for Rachel. Albeit, in a bit more of a perverted light.

"He wants my panties." straight to the point, "And he won't accept ones with price tags."

Both eyebrows raised, followed by a cringe and a retch. And then a shiver to complete the combination.

"My sentiments, exactly." Rachel shared the reaction.

"So," Mitchell shook off the effects, "What are you going to do?"

"That is actually - and obviously - why I'm speaking with you now."

"Oh," Mitchell chuckled, slightly embarrassed, "Well... I don't know. I mean, if that's what it's going to take to keep Quinn from being humiliated, then I wish you would. But, at the same time, I don't want you being humiliated, either."

"I'm thinking of Finn, too." she confessed.

"It would definitely score you some points, that's for sure."

"That settles it," Rachel nodded, "For the good of the Glee club-"

"And Finn."

"- And Finn, yes - I'm going to subject myself to a recipe for future therapy bills."

The two friends went their separate ways, Rachel spotting Finn, and Mitchell noticing Santana out of the corner of his eye...

"'Sup, lover?" Santana's greeting as she kept going forward while Mitchell caught up...

"I was wondering... What are you doing for tonight?" Mitchell had an idea, "I'm thinking... Maybe a trip to Breadstix is in order?"

"Count me..."

The two of them were interrupted and halted to a complete stop by the sudden emergence of Quinn, with her arms crossed and an expression on her face that told the tale of a young lady not in a good mood. Even Santana didn't know what to make of it.

"Back and forth, back and forth," Quinn started, "Honestly, witnessing your relationship is making me dizzy."

"Something wrong?" Santana wondered, Mitchell as well.

"Yeah," Quinn responded, "I woke up this morning realizing something. Ever since I joined Glee, I've been a different person. Someone that I don't like... That makes me sick. So, I've made a decision to bring back the real Quinn Fabray."

"That's my girl!" Santana was loving it, reclaiming her spot alongside the Head Cheerleader.

"What are you saying?" Mitchell was a little confused. He was under the impression that Quinn was in favor of the nicer, all-around decent version of herself. Why go back?

"The bitch is back," she stated confidently, "That's what I'm saying."

"That's not you." Mitchell disagreed.

"Oh, and you know me?" Quinn confronted the newbie, "You've been here barely long enough to find your locker and you think you know me? Stinky, you don't have a clue."

"Whoah, whoah," Santana stepped in cautiously, "I'm all for the bitch being back, but not at the expense of my boyfriend."

"Who's side are you on, then?" Quinn fired back.

Santana sighed, knowing she would be hurting Mitchell by doing this... "Yours, of course."

Mitchell was hurt. They were supposed to be standing alongside each other. Their relationship was supposed to be real and true now, stronger than ever. It was supposed to be an actual thing between the two of them. They were a couple, an item. The whole idea was them sticking together through thick and thin. Not this, not what was happening right now.

"Anything else to add, Lamb-Boy?" Quinn's sharp comment, hands on her hips.

"No." his response was very quiet.

And with that, the Cheerleaders turned away and headed down the opposite end of the hall, Santana briefly looking over her shoulder.

Mitchell just stood there. No, this wasn't going to stand. The next chance he got, he was going to talk to Santana about this. Luckily, the next chance was a mere scene-shift away.

Convenient, huh?

**:::Sue's Glee Club:::**

Mitchell didn't want this to be something that didn't get resolved as soon as possible. With that in mind, he made sure that he was outside of that choir room door the second after Sue walked in with her brass section accompanying her like flying monkeys in the Wizard of Oz. Hahaha, that was a good one. He'd need to remember it for later.

Peeking through the glass window - very whatever the opposite of nonchalantly was - he watched as Mercedes, Mike, Tina, Matt, Artie, Kurt and his Santana roared through a version of 'Hate On Me'. Mercedes had been given a chance to shine, and not only was she shining like the star she was destined to be one day, but she deserved the spotlight Sue provided.

Halfway through the song, Mitchell was joined by Mr. Schuester, who was equally impressed.

Yet, he couldn't let go of the fact that it just seemed wrong, "Tell me I'm not crazy, Mitchell."

"You're not crazy, Mr. Schue." Mitchell's dry comment as he was distracted by the gyrating hips of his lady.

"You know what, this gives me an idea."

"You're not crazy, Mr. Schue." Mitchell was stuck on a brain-freeze watching Santana. It was amazing just how easily the boy could become distracted.

"Mitchell, focus." Will grabbed his student by the shoulders, turning him around, "Listen, if Sue is going to run with this negativity, then how about we move with some positivity?"

"Like Batman and the Joker? Opposites?"

"You could say that, I guess." Will ran with it, "If Sue has Mercedes singing about hate, then we're going to have Finn and Rachel singing about love."

"Why is Kurt kicking his feet like that?" Mitchell wondered.

Will snapped his fingers, really seeing this as a brilliant idea, "I'm glad I ran into you, Mitchell. See you at the next meeting."

The song ended, Will walked away, and the club was let out a few minutes later. Sue was the first one to leave, Mitchell rather stealthily ducking behind a trash bin when she did. Next came the rest, and Mitchell felt compelled to comment and compliment their performance.

"You guys were awesome," he said once they walked out, everyone saying hi, Matt and Mike clapping hands with him, "Mercedes, I see MSG in your future."

"Wasn't she amazing?" Kurt beamed, "I have to admit... Ms. Sylvester picked a great song."

"We miss you guys," Tina mentioned, "We should get everyone together."

Artie chuckled, "Like a covert jam?"

"We miss you guys, too," Mitchell admitted, a brief glance to Santana, "I'll pass the secret jam idea along."

Then everyone said their goodbyes, except for Santana and Mitchell. The girl looked somewhat sad, which was definitely a new look for her.

"I know why you're here." Santana did know, "You're bent out of shape about earlier."

This killed her to act so nice. But, what else could she do? She needed to truly convince this loser that she had developed real feelings for him and wanted them to be together. It was rough, but she would work through it.

"You're just so hot and cold," Mitchell said, "Quinn's right about the back and forth. If we are going to be together, why can't it be stable? Why can't it just be normal for at least a few days in a row?"

"She's my girl - well, one of my girls - So, I'm gonna side with her," she explained, "It's just the way it is. I can't turn my back on her, and I don't blame her for wanting to act the way she used to. Being all pleasant sucks. It's way too hard, and all you end up with is foot-prints on your back from all the times you were stepped on."

"She's going about this the wrong way," he showed concern for Quinn, "I'm not trying to say that I know what's best for her, but..."

"It doesn't matter," Santana rolled her eyes, "Look, Quinn is Quinn. I'm me. You're you. You can't keep getting your panties in a bunch just because someone doesn't act the way you think they should."

"Fine."

"Boy, I am gonna get you hard if it's the last thing I... That was a poor choice of words on my part."

"Definitely."

**:::Breadstix:::**

"Brittany could've come, too."

"Nah. She couldn't. Something about saving a lost puppy from the dog police. Hmmm... Maybe Rachel's in trouble?"

They shared a little laugh as they enjoyed their dinner. This felt good to Mitchell. They were acting like a couple should have. They were together on a date, laughing, having fun. It felt normal and was very welcomed.

"Guess what?" Mitchell mentioned out of nowhere in-between bites.

"What?"

"I've got a surprise for you..." he spoke in a sing-songy voice.

Santana was going to respond with a witty remark full of sarcasm, but she couldn't do it once she saw what Mitchell was handing to her. She was almost hypnotized, her eyes focusing as it shimmered and shined in the light. It was the bracelet from the mall. That gift. That thing she wanted so badly. She didn't expect him to still buy it for her.

"I thought it was going to take..."

"An extra fifty bucks and I got it a little earlier." he answered with half a smile, "You still wanted it, right?"

A normal guy wouldn't do this. A normal guy didn't care like this. A normal guy would never even dream of treating her so nice. The gift, the dinner, the way he was looking at her. It was like... maybe...

"Come here." she stood up, leading him by the hand.

"Where are we going?"

They ended up outside, behind the building, next to a dumpster.

"Why are you doing this?" Santana desired answers, "Buying me things, acting like this, treating me like-"

"Like a boyfriend should?" he responded, looking straight into her eyes, "Doing things for you like a boyfriend is supposed to? Something Quinn said earlier, got me to thinking... How ever you guys were before... doesn't matter to me. All that matters is that you're here with me now, Santana."

Something was breaking inside of Santana. No, not her heart. It was like a dam that she had built over the years. A wall to keep the real emotions at bay. Mitchell was crumbling that barrier, little by little. Maybe a bit more than little by little. She was starting to... honestly... care about him, feel for him. This wasn't good. This was bad. She had him right where she wanted him, and her own heart was betraying her at a crucial moment.

"Call me San."

_**:::Initiate Song Sequence:::**_

"_I don't mind where you come from,_" Mitchell moved close to Santana, putting his hands on her hips, gazing into those beautiful eyes she had, "_As long as you come to me. But I don't like illusions I can't see, Them clearly._"

Everything else seemed to vanish in the background, leaving the two of them under a bright circle of light shining from a post as Mitchell continued his soft singing, "_I don't care, no I wouldn't dare, to fix the twist in you. You've shown me eventually, what you'll do._"

Then his voice grew a little stronger, "_I don't mind, I don't care, as long as you're here._"

For the chorus, Santana broke away from the hug, walking in the opposite direction, causing Mitchell to go after her, "_Go ahead tell me you'll leave again, you'll just come back running. Holding your scarred heart in hand. It's all the same."_

He caught up to her, taking her hand gently, "_And I'll take you for who you are, If you take me for everything. Do it all over again, It's all the same._"

Santana's turn to sing, "_Hours slide and days go by, 'Til you decide to come. And in-between it always seems too long, All of a sudden. And I have the skill, Yeah I have the will, to breathe you in while I can."_

Mitchell took over for the last line, singing strongly again, "_However long you stay, Is all that I am!_"

Both of them, softly, with their voices fading, "_I don't mind, I don't care, as long as you're here._"

_**:::End Song Sequence:::**_

Maybe it was the song, maybe it was the cool yet comfortable chill in the air, maybe it was the way the light reflected through the night sky. Maybe it wasn't any of that. But, it was something, and both of the McKinley students could feel it flowing through them. For the first time, there was this mutual connection between the two of them.

They liked each other, they wanted to be with each other. Next came a slow and passionate kiss, the moonlight shining down upon them as if they were on stage. Santana felt like the spotlight was on her, like she was special. Mitchell couldn't even remember the name of the girl that had consumed his heart ever since arriving at the new school.

Santana broke the kiss, Mitchell still moving his lips after she had taken hers away. She sighed, feeling guilt, regret, remorse, whatever. She was liking this. She was liking Glee. She was liking meeting everyone every day. What the hell was happening to her? Just as Quinn was returning to her old ways, Santana was moving in the opposite direction.

**:::Will's Glee Club:::**

"Look who I found!"

Mitchell had made that proud declaration while entering the choir room with Sue's half of New Directions. Everyone smiled and greeted each other with handshakes and hugs. It was good to see everyone smiling, even the recently rotten Quinn Fabray. It had been awhile since they last were in the same room together like this.

After a few minutes of catching up, Puck grabbed an acoustic guitar and took a seat, everyone following suit by gathering around him, "I got just the song."

They then blasted through a sweet version of Nelly's "Ride Wit' Me". It was fun while it lasted, but all good things must come to an end.

"This is wrong," Kurt was a little nervous, "If Sue catches us, we're cooked. And, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if she hired someone to shave my head."

They all shared a laugh, Santana and Mitchell sitting closer than ever, the lady with her brand new bracelet around her wrist.

"That's so beautiful," it had caught Rachel's eye, "I thought there weren't going to be any more in for another month?"

"Anything's possible." Mitchell quipped with a goofy look, rising a laugh out of his fellow Glee members.

"We should get going," Mercedes spoke up, everyone groaning, "I know, I know, but if Sue catches us..."

Their half of New Directions made their exit, catching Mr. Schuester on the way out. After all of that, a seemingly re-invigorated Will quickly approached his students with sheets in hand, passing them out.

"Huh?" Jack didn't know what to make of it, "Mr. Schuester, I disagree. Should we not try to match the fire Sue started with their song?"

"That's what I was thinking at first," Will answered, "But, I had an idea a couple days ago when I ran into Mitchell in the hall."

"Of course!" Quinn muttered.

"I knew Bambi was somehow behind this." Jack said to Quinn from the side of his mouth.

Ever since Quinn's return trip to the Dark-Side, the two of them had been like peas in a pod.

Will ignored those comments, "If Sue is going with hate, then we are going with love. We are going to prove that we can be productive in a positive way. Love can burn just as hot as hate."

"Well, I for one, agree with you, Mr. Schuester." Rachel stated.

"Let's just do a quick rehearsal," Will said, "Your parts are highlighted on your sheets."

"Wait," Finn stalled the performance, "This doesn't feel right. We shouldn't... I mean..."

"I share the feeling," Jack stood, "I'm not focused, and if I'm not on my game... All will suffer."

"Was that a complaint or a threat?" Puck whispered to Mitchell.

"I think it was both." Mitchell replied.

"Guys," Rachel took the initiative, "We have to make do with what we have. I know it stinks that we're split into two, but we can still make this work."

"Oh please," Quinn scoffed, "The only reason you're behind this idea is because it shines an even bigger spotlight on you than before."

Jack nearly smirked. That woman was so hot when she was bitchy. Ah! Loved it!

"Can we just get this over with?" Puck remarked.

They then started the song "No Air" and somehow magically ended up in the auditorium. As predicted, Rachel and Finn were the stars of this performance. Mitchell, Puck, Brittany, Jack and Quinn were relegated to the background. This was something Quinn would not be accepting at all.

"Mr. Schuester," Quinn stepped ahead of everyone on the stage, "This is stupid. The rest of us are just swaying in the background like props."

"Quinn..." Finn quietly tried to settled her down.

"No!" she exclaimed with a fire in her eyes, "The rest of us might as well not even be here, you could do the same thing with cardboard cut-outs and a box-fan!"

"I agree." Jack agreed, "The two of them do an amazing job - not as good as I, but I digress - the rest of us are being wasted, even the Theorist, Bambi and the Mohawked-Jew! And that right there is saying something drastic!"

"Who are they?" Brittany was confused.

Puck and Mitchell kept silent.

"We need to stick together, now more than ever," Will unintentionally rhymed, "Listen..."

"No!" Quinn remained defiant, "There's no listening."

Will took a deep breath to keep himself calm, "Let's just call it a day." he gathered his things and left the auditorium, "I'm sorry this selection is upsetting you, Quinn. I really am, but we're up against a wall here, and we need something big to push through it."

Jack sighed in a way that had a blending of aggravation inside of it, "I hate to say it, but he does have a point."

"You agree with that bullshit?" Quinn was straight to the point.

"_Partially_," Jack nodded, "If Sue is truly our enemy here, then Mr. Schuester has a good idea with the positivity plan. However, his song choice is poor. No offense to the father of your baby, but it should be me singing with Rachel."

"Dude," Finn took offense, "I'm right here."

"Rachel knows it," Jack stepped up, "She knows what I can do... What I'm capable of."

"If it's being capable of being a jack-ass... Then I know that, too." Puck smirked.

Mitchell laughed. Brittany giggled, though there was a good chance that she was humored by something in her head rather than what was taking place in front of her.

"You three can't possibly be okay with just swaying in the background," Quinn turned her attention towards Mitchell, Brittany and Puck, "Seems to me that Minorities aren't the only people that he's trying to hold down."

**:::Couple Days Later:::**

The only thing worse than being absent for a couple days with a rotten cold, was missing the bus on the day of your return. Case in point, Mitchell was running to school. Which meant he was tragically late. Nose stuffed, sinuses aching, eyes puffy, it was a small miracle that he had even made it to school at all.

Before entering the building, he spotted Puck holding some poor kid's ankles as the victim was taking a forced swim in a dumpster, "How's it feel to be swimming in the trash you talk, bitch?"

Puck was really angry. Mitchell felt the need to confront him, but there was a wall of jocks standing around him. They wouldn't beat him up if he had a cold virus, right? So, Mitchell decided on being bold and asking Puck to lay off. With a gulp - which hurt a bit by the way, sore throat - Mitchell walked towards the scene.

Surprisingly, like an opening gate, the football players noticed Mitchell and they parted. It was cool yet extremely unsettling at the same time. This was new. They were probably just afraid of catching his cold. And understandably so.

"There he is!" Puck said, happily enough.

Who? Mitchell looked over his shoulder.

"Ya want a turn, huh?" Puck smiled in that evil way he would whenever he was dishing out some punishment. He then pulled the victim out of the dumpster, revealing Jacob covered in trash, his skin already stained and glasses broke. Not to mention gravy caking his fro.

"I-I don't... What are you doing?"

"Little bitch blew up Quinn's secret, man," Puck informed Mitchell, "Quinn's a wreck. He needs to pay."

"You told?" Mitchell glared, momentarily forgetting his cold virus, forgetting the upswing his relationship with Santana had taken, and only seeing Quinn in a filter of pure red rage. His fist clenched, and Puck couldn't resist the urge...

"Yes, Luke, yes," he spoke in his best Emperor impersonation, "Come to the Dark-Side, let your hate flow through you. Let it..."

"Shut up," Mitchell turned on his heels, not wanting to become Puck, not wanting to become the bully, even if it meant denying himself the pleasure of revenge. Mitchell walked into the school, searching the halls until he found her...

... In the arms of Finn Hudson.

**:::The Hospital:::**

Mitchell was cleaning up a little in the gift shop. Heh, Ms. Pillsbury would be proud to see the broom in his hand, dust-pan hooked to his waist. His cleaning was put on pause, though, when he noticed Quinn standing in the doorway. He braced himself, preparing for whatever onslaught she had instore for him.

"Hi." Quinn greeted quietly, her eyes puffy and red from crying, a tissue rolled in her hand.

Mitchell wasn't sure what to say.

"You're mad," Quinn deduced, nodding, sniffling, "Okay, I deserve that. I'll just be..."

"I'm sorry!" Mitchell somewhat blurted, stopping the girl before she could leave, "Uhh... I mean... About what happened at school today. It was bogus. Puck made him pay, though."

Quinn shrugged softly, taking a few slow steps into the shop, peeking around at all the pretty little collectibles and warm gestures waiting to be released, "I'll live, I guess."

A couple coughs slipped past Mitchell, remnants of his cold, "I heard Sue is..."

"I'm off the Cheerios," Quinn interrupted, "I'm not sure if it's official yet, but I will be."

Again, Mitchell didn't know what to say. He felt like such an idiot. This girl's world was crumbling down around her, and he couldn't even gather a few half-hearted words of encouragement, let alone ones of the wholehearted variety.

"I'm really sorry," an apology, "For how I've been acting. I just... I was thinking..." she appeared as though she were going to cry again.

"It's okay."

"I'm losing him, Mitchell," her confession through tears, "He's slipping right through my fingers and I feel so helpless."

This was about Finn. It wasn't as sharp a jab to Mitchell as he thought it would be, but it still felt awkward and uncomfortable. "Finn is crazy about you. Especially now. Don't worry about him, he's going to be there for you. Dude's middle name is devotion. Finn Devotion Hudson."

Quinn took a deep breath to compose herself, "I wish I believed that."

"Quinn..."

"Can't you see how they look at each other?" she wasn't ready to let it go, "The way they are, is the same way you and Santana are now. There's a connection. They make each other smile, they're so comfortable around each other. It hurts so much, Mitchell."

He didn't want to go through with what he did next. But, she was broken and sad. She was crying and hurting. Mitchell stepped up to the plate and wrapped his arms around her in a hug between friends.

To Quinn, it felt so good. To be held by someone you didn't need to worry about, by someone that wasn't trying to get in her pants, that didn't have an ulterior-motive. To just have a friend that was there for her, that wanted her to feel better. It was the entire reason that she even went to the hospital today. She didn't have an appointment scheduled. She was just hopeful that Mitchell was there and the burden she was feeling could be lifted a little so she could relax enough to go home and hopefully sleep the rest of the day away.

This wasn't what Mitchell was expecting whenever he fantasized about this moment finally coming true. His affections for Quinn were strictly friendly. The crush wasn't gone, but it wasn't nearly as strong as he anticipated. It was barely there. This was all courtesy of that night he shared with Santana last week.

"I know I haven't been here long," the hug ended, "But, I want you to know that I'm here if you need something. Just let me know."

"Thank you, Mitchell."

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_The song was "All The Same" by Sick Puppies. The performance was minimal, because it was just something I wanted to try out. I think the song fits the Mitchell/Santana drama, and I'm a HUGE fan of the band and generally listen to them while I'm writing this._

_This chapter was difficult, but I'm happy with it. There were a couple ways I could have gone, one of them coming to me on the fly, while the other stuck to my outline. The one I chose, stuck to my plans. And, in the end, that's what needed to happen. There's a scene that I really like but ultimately decided to cut. I'm going to add it after these notes, though, so it can still see the light of day. Nothing much else to say, other than I'll be adding one more OC, although she won't become a member of New Directions. She will be... ::drum roll:: Emma's little sister, who is her opposite in almost every way. I have an actress in mind. She plays on Saturday Night Live and she's hilarious._

_Now, why this next scene was cut. It was just too much for Santana to go through, and out of character. I also don't want Mitchell becoming the center of everyone's world, either. She does care about him now, but having her fall apart in the office with Emma was too much. So, this is cut and not a part of my storyline..._

**:::Guidance Counselor's Office:::**

Emma Pillsbury was happily humming to herself as she walked down the hall. The tune came to a quick halt, however, when she found the shades and blinds drawn down in her office windows and the door. They were merely window dressings and nothing more. She would never have done this herself. Which begged the question; Who was in her office?

Was it Sue? Oh gosh, it was wasn't it? What was she up to now?

Somewhat humorously, she knocked on the door, "Hello? I... Is anyone in there?"

She slowly opened the door, finding what she presumed to be a student hidden underneath baggy clothing and a big navy blue hoodie.

Emma slowly stepped behind her desk, trying to sneak a peek. It wasn't until she sat down that she realized who was there. And the identity of that person was nearly enough of a shock to knock her right out of her chair, down to the floor.

"Santana?" she still couldn't believe it, "Ummm... Okay... Why are you dressed like that? Is something..."

Santana flipped the hood down, revealing a face with tears. The expression was far from what Ms. Pillsbury was used to seeing. Most likely far from what anybody was used to seeing. There was something troubling her. Something that was painful.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Emma was worried.

"I hate him."

Emma's brows lowered, "Who?"

"Mitchell freakin' Mason," she sniffled, wiping her eyes, "We had an amazing date a few nights ago. Just... I don't even know what it was... It was just like this romantic thing. And... I feel... I don't know... Maybe I'm on a contact high from walking by the stoners this morning. I mean, he's out sick with a cold and I miss him being here."

"I'm not sure I'm aware of what the problem is," Emma was a little foggy, "Other than there being stoners at our school, of course."

"I don't want to like him!" Santana blurted, "There's nothing about him that I should like. He doesn't have muscles or a decent haircut. He doesn't drive. He's not popular. He's in the glee club."

"You're part of the club as well." Emma pointed out.

"So?" Santana questioned, "What's your point?"

"Ummm..."

"I'm effing falling for him," Santana dug to the root of the problem, "That's impossible! It's like going against nature or something. I feel like the world's going to crack in half."

"You didn't like him before?" Emma wondered, "If you weren't interested in Mitchell, then why were you involved with him in the first place?"

Uh-oh.

"I was trying to make Puckerman jealous," Santana answered, diverting from the true reason behind it all, "It didn't work, though. He doesn't even care anymore."

"Okay, let's sort this out before we go any further," Emma laid it out, "Initially, you involved yourself with Mitchell to make Noah Puckerman jealous?"

"Yes."

"But, Noah didn't seem to care."

"Yep."

"And now, you believe you're actually developing honest feelings for Mitchell, despite you not seeing any reason to be?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay," Emma nodded, "While I think how this all started was rather unpleasant, I think it's wonderful that the two of you care for each other. Maybe I shouldn't say this, but I know that Mitchell adores you, Santana."

"No," Santana huffed, "It's not wonderful. I don't want to like him! You're a doctor, fix me!"

Emma cocked a peculiar brow, "Oh, I'm... See... I'm not a doctor."

"Then what the hell are you, Ms. Pillsbury?"

"Guidance Counselor."

"Yeah, exactly."

"Not a doctor."

"I thought Guidance Counselors were like Therapists?"

"No," Emma corrected, "We are what the name implies; We council you with guidance. Well, that's what we hope to achieve, I should say. Guidance Counseling. Yep."

Santana rolled her eyes, scoffing as she stood and placed the hoodie back over her head, stealthily leaving the office and hopefully making it to the locker room without being noticed by anyone.

"Come back anytime!" Emma offered in vain.


	9. Mash Up

Quick note, I had announced in the previous chapter that I was going to add another OC. But, I decided against the idea. Just wasn't fitting right. The character didn't come out as good as I was anticipating.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 9- "Mash-Ups"**

It was like any other day at William McKinley High School. Actually... scratch that immediately! It wasn't any ordinary day. It was a new beginning. And one of the first signs of this was the entrance made by a group of jocks and Cheerios lead by what was rumored to have become the new power couple of McKinley; Mitchell Mason and Santana Lopez.

_'Wait, hold on. Look, I know what you're all thinking right now; How the hell did this happen? When did Stinky the Lamb become the latest overnight sensation? What's with the new clothes, styled hair and slow-motion strut alongside the most popular Cheerios the squad has to offer? Well, it all started last week when I approached Puck in the school parking lot. Ever since then, I noticed the Jocks and Cheerios treating me better. But, it wasn't until last night that I found out what was really going on...'_

**:::Last Night:::**

Mitchell and Santana were alone in a bedroom, making out. But, just when things were truly getting hot, Mitchell took it upon himself to take a proverbial step back and catch his breath.

"What?" Santana asked, surprised at the sudden stop.

Mitchell just shrugged and the kissing resumed. It was a mere minute later, however, when it was Santana's turn to slam on the brakes. "What?" Mitchell was the one to ask now.

Santana appeared as though she wanted to say something - much like Mitchell - but she kept it to herself and the kissing was resumed yet again. This time, Santana moved on top of Mitchell, straddling his waist. They were on the journey, but both seemed distracted.

Mitchell pulled away, looking up at his girlfriend as her long hair fell around his face, "Do you know why the football team hasn't threatened my life at all this week?"

"Are you complaining?"

"No, no," he answered simply, "I'm just... confused, I guess."

"You know what's really confusing?" she raised, he nodded, "That you would be confused about it in the first place. Just enjoy it."

"I guess you're right." he kissed her.

"I know I'm right." she kissed him back.

"Uhhh..." he wasn't free of the thought just yet, "No, actually, I really need to know why the football team isn't..."

"I convinced everyone that you're cool, okay?" the confession, though it wasn't full. Santana rolled off, laying down next to Mitchell rather than on top of him, "God," she scoffed, "You really know how to kill a mood."

"I'm cool now?" Mitchell needed to hear it again to believe it. And even then, it would still be difficult to absorb.

"Yes," Santana confirmed, "Very cool, actually."

"Sweet," Mitchell smiled and laughed happily, "I'm cool!"

"You're such a nerd," Santana rolled her eyes, "Don't be a nerd. Nerds aren't cool."

"That's right, no more nerd-like behavior for this cool dude." he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Yeah."

"So," he wondered, "How did you convince who Kurt calls - _The Neanderthals_ - to see me as cool?"

Santana shrugged, "Nothing, really."

**The scene was the boys locker room, a large group of jocks forming an equally large circle around Santana and Brittany making out. "Alright boys," Santana broke away, "Another one agrees to treat Mitchell Mason like royalty and the two of us extend our show another three seconds."**

"You should thank me, actually," Santana went into a little more detail, "Tomorrow starts widespread slushee attacks."

"You rock." Mitchell's way of saying thank you.

**:::Glee Club:::**

The kids were all gathered together, Mitchell learning that Santana's warning from the previous night was indeed true. While others had been slushed, the most prominent victim was Finn, who was still having it cleaned off of him with help from Quinn.

In moments, Mr. Schuester entered the room with his usual optimism, "Okay, guys, we're a little behind, so let's get right down to business. Mash-ups are popular with you, right?"

The kids all agreed, though the reaction was nothing overwhelming.

"Well, I wanna get you guys fired up and keep that excitement burning inside of you," he explained, "Plus, Mash-Ups are something we can learn a lot from. Sometimes, two things that couldn't possible be anymore different, can be mashed together into something great. Sometimes so good that you're left wondering why they weren't put together in the first place."

"You mean," Jack spoke up, "Like Bambi and Shore Leave? Well... minus the being something great and should have been that way in the first place."

"I'm gonna kick your ass." you'd think that threat would have come courtesy of Mitchell. Nope, it was strictly from the lips of the firey Santana Lopez.

"Like football and glee." Finn mentioned, smartly swerving everyone away from a confrontation between Jack and Santana.

"Yes," Will liked that, "And you guys have shown us just how great of a combination that can be."

"If you say so." Puck mumbled.

Will started passing out sheets to all the members, "Here's your homework and personally one of my all-time favorite songs."

"Homework?" Mitchell asked, "You mean, like... memorizing it?"

"Not exactly," Will finished passing the sheets out, "The homework is this; I want you guys to find a song that no one would expect to turn into a mash-up with this."

"Hahaha, Bust A Move!" Mitchell was happy, "I love this song, Mr. Schue!"

"Alright," Will smiled, "Good to hear it, Mitchell."

"Old school." Mercedes pointed out.

"Okay," Mr. Schuester started directing, "Artie, I need you on bass."

"Will do, Mr. Schue." he was willing to oblige.

"Nice, this is going good. Finn, take the lead."

"I'm sorry, Mr Schuester, but I got some corn syrup in my eye. Dancing right now could be dangerous."

"A blind football player lumbering around like a wounded cyclops," Jack snickered at the mental image, "That's all we need."

"Puck?" Mr. Schuester turned to the next potential singer.

"I don't really groove on Young MC."

"Jack?"

"Beneath me."

"Mitchell?"

"No solo," Mitchell suddenly filled with fear, "Solo's are bad."

"The first thing you sang was a solo." Kurt refreshed his memory.

"You sang a solo before?" Quinn asked curiously with a subtle smirk.

Mitchell shrugged nervously, silently praying for a comet to hit the Earth.

"I am shocked and ashamed at the blatant lack of male leadership," Rachel stated, "Where's the ambition, boys?"

Next thing anyone knew, Mr. Schuester was stepping up to the plate. After all, it was a favorite of his. With a little help, he rocked through an enjoyable performance.

**:::In the Halls:::**

It was like a ceremonial rite of passage. To be cool, it needed to happen. Passing the torch, Santana handed a cup filled with sticky slushee goodness. Grape flavored, to be exact. Mitchell felt nervous, shivering and trembling just enough to be noticeable. He wasn't ready to do this. It wasn't right. It wasn't okay.

"There's only so much I can do," Santana tried convincing him that it was a good idea, "But, if you do this, then you're in for life. Well... The next few years, I mean."

"This is a bad idea." Mitchell was worried, "What if there's retaliation?"

"What?" Santana looked as if Mitchell had just told her there were aliens in her hair, "There's not going to be any revenge. Listen, just find a member of the lower class and slush 'em. Trust me, your stock is gonna rise after this. Big time."

This went against his better judgement. This battled defiantly against his instincts. Not so long ago, he was the one cowering in fear, planning his bathroom trips in advance, hiding when a group of football players were on their way down the hall. Now? Now, he was going to become the one that was feared. He was going to become the one most hated. He was on his way to becoming a bully of the slush variety.

"Do it," Santana encouraged in a sexy whisper, "For me."

She was so close that she could feel it. She was inches away from turning Mitchell into something other than a Glee Club loser. She could feel it at her fingertips, tasted it on her lips. That head-cheerleading job was hers for the taking. She had already achieved the goal of raising Mitchell's popularity. Now all she had to do was cement his social status. Once that was completed, she would go in for the kill and that promotion in the Cheerios would be all hers.

"Okay," Mitchell nodded, "I'll do it."

He knew he was going to regret it later. But, damn it, Mitchell wanted to feel it. _Popularity_. To be like Puck, Finn or even Santana. To have people like you. To be loved. It wouldn't be so terrible for the other person, would it? They could just wash themselves off in the bathroom. No big deal. Yeah, it would suck, but it wasn't the end of the world. Not even close. Yeah, it actually wasn't all that bad. Just an annoyance, more than anything.

With this in mind, Mitchell stepped forward, striding through his mission, sniffing out a victim. Santana stayed a safe distance behind him, watching with eager eyes and a subtle yet delighted smile. She wasn't for certain that her man would see this through, but her hopes were on the up.

Unseen from around the corner, Sue Sylvester watched with curious eyes.

Mitchell spotted a potential target and walked slowly towards him. One of Jacob's friends, probably helped in exposing Quinn. Yeah, sucker deserved it. Mitchell approached the pudgy kid, gripping the slushee like it was a weapon. Closer and closer, the would-be victim none the wiser. He never saw it coming. Mitchell dove in for the kill in slow-motion, epic war music supporting him the whole way, his girlfriend cheering him on from a distance down the hall. All that was left was to seal the deal with an arc of his wrist and...

Record scratch!

Mitchell froze in the middle of the hall. His hand was turned slightly, arm half-raised. Couldn't do it. Could not cement his status in the cool crowd. He cursed himself under his breath, waging an internal battle. It was like some mystical freakin' force was holding him back from devious glory.

Then came the look. His target turned around, eyes widening in fright, hands going up over his face as he ducked out of reflex and instinct.

Sue Sylvester watched on in disgust. What in the world was going on here? Was Stinky getting cold feet? Had Santana not worked her magic? Gasp, even worse... Was Will's wicked ways too ingrained into the little lamb's mind? This wouldn't do. This was unacceptable!

"STOP RIGHT THERE!"

Aw crap! Fear filled Mitchell in that moment, the unmistakable voice of the Cheerios Coach echoing within the crowded hallway. He hadn't done anything, though. He couldn't get into trouble, right? Oh no... What is if it was like with drugs? Possession being 3/4 of the law? Wait... That didn't sound right...

"What do you think you are doing, young man?" Sue had her hands on her hips, the scowl in full-effect.

"Nothing?" Mitchell winced.

"Nothing?" Sue repeated, shaking her head, "Yeah... And I'm not the single greatest Cheerleading coach in the history of the sport."

"I..."

"Zip it, Stinky," Sue grabbed everyone's attention in the hall, even a disgruntled Santana, "Hear me, William McKinley High School, and hear me well. What this student here represents is a mockery of all that we are trying to uphold. His rebellion will not go un-punished."

"Wait," Mitchell didn't like this at all, the eyes upon him, staring right directly at him, "I didn't... I mean... I never actually..."

"Troublemakers aren't allowed to speak." Sue quipped slyly.

Santana grinned, watching on in delight. She realized what Sue had just done. Coach had just made it seem like she stopped Mitchell from committing the slushee act, rather than what really happened. Which was the loser chickening out.

**:::After Will's Spanish Class:::**

"I have to say, I'm really disappointed in you, Mitchell." Will said, sitting at his desk while Mitchell stood in front of it, and Sue stood behind Will in one of her trademark track suits.

"Mr. Schue, I..." Mitchell spoke up to defend himself, but was casted aside by Sue Sylvester...

"Is this what we can expect from your kids now, Will?" Sue wondered, "Random acts of slushee violence? That poor boy - his name eludes me - had to go home for a change of pants."

"Is this true?" Will asked Mitchell.

"Yes, I had the thing in my hand..."

Sue interrupted once again, "He admits it! My vote is for immediate expulsion."

Will waived that off, "Punishment for a slushee is detention," much to Sue's chagrin, "And considering that he never got to do it... I doubt Principal Figgins is going to enforce anything. Let this be a lesson to you, Mitchell."

Mitchell was upset. Granted it was a little late, but he had made the right decision. Mitchell went against his own potential popularity by not slushing the dork... nerd... geek... whatever. The right thing, the noble thing. But, no one believed him. Not even Mr. Schuester.

After Sue left the room, Will returned to grading papers, "I'll see you at rehearsal."

Before going anywhere, Mitchell had something to say, "I know that I haven't been here long. That I have a tendency to kind of fall into situations and forcibly push myself into them. I know I can be impulsive and I don't always act all that great. Errr... You get the idea. But I didn't slushee that kid. I wanted to, but I didn't."

"There's a difference between not doing something because you refused to, and not doing something because you were stopped."

"I wasn't going to do it." Mitchell repeated, not sure why it was so important for the teacher to know the truth.

"There's nothing to worry about," Mr. Schuester assured him, "Just take the lesson and move on."

"Why won't you believe me!" Mitchell shouted, surprising himself, before stomping out of the class room.

**:::Glee Club:::**

_'I thought I would like being popular. But, I hate it. The high-fives and random shout-outs from the jocks make me sick they're so fake. Even the flirtatious waves and smiles from the Cheerleaders. Yeah, I'm just as shocked as you are about that one. But, the thing I hate most about this new popularity... Is the way Rachel and Kurt have been looking at me. Like I disappointed them. It reminds me how my parents looked at me that year I snuck downstairs Christmas Eve and opened all my presents early.'_

"Leave him alone, Queen of the Drag Queens." Santana sharply responded just after Rachel had voiced her opinions regarding Mitchell's recent turn in social status.

"She's right," Mitchell frowned, agreeing with Rachel. His clothes were disheveled, shaggy brown hair a mess, shoes un-tied. So, he basically looked normal, just... to a higher degree, maybe, "I sold out. I feel miserable. I gotta reverse the curse."

"Popularity is not a curse," Quinn spoke up from the other side of the seats, "And, I can't believe that you're complaining about people liking you. I _wish_ I had that complaint."

"It shouldn't come at such a high price," Kurt's two cents, "At the end of the day, being happy with who you are is more rewarding than others being happy with you."

"Well said." Rachel marked Kurt's comment with approval.

"Boring!" Jack finally spoke up, "Bambi, you're being idiotic."

"Jack!" Rachel scolded. In the background, Puck was entering the choir room, walking over to the band members immediately and picking up a guitar.

"What?" Jack was ready to defend, "This is high school, Rachel. _High school_. Not the real world. Pregnoid is half-right about popularity not being a curse."

"Half right?"

"Yes," Jack nodded his head, "Popularity is a gift and a curse."

"That actually makes a lot of sense." Artie remarked.

"It does." Tina followed.

"So, to get this straight," Kurt again, "Making yourself miserable is better than making yourself happy?"

"Masturbation metaphors aside," Jack said, everyone cringed, except for Brittany who giggled, "Yes, some things in life are worth the price of personal happiness."

"Like what?" Rachel wanted to know.

"A father has to work a job far away from his home so he can provide for mama and the babies," Jack ran down the list, "Umm... Let me see here... Ah, yes; Getting a little industrial strength glue and a thumb tack or two on your hands because of a prank."

Interesting visual.

"Okay, guys," Will entered the room, "Sorry I'm a little late. Quickly, what's the progress on the assignment?"

Everyone all kind of looked at each other awkwardly. Except for Puck, who appeared to have a little something prepared.

Puck then proceeded to sing a great rendition of 'Sweet Caroline'. And while this was going on, there seemed a strange occurrence happening with the females of the group. Specifically, a certain three of them...

Mitchell watched with an inward giggle as Rachel was giving Puck the eyes, and he was shooting them right back at her. Mitchell let a smile escape, turning his head toward Santana, only to find that she was scowling angrily at Rachel. What the hell?

Mitchell shrugged it off, though not forgetting to jot down a mental note. Casually, he turned to the opposite side, discovering Quinn with a look on her face that could only be described as her digging on Puck.

_'What the hell, dude?'_

**:::In the Halls:::**

Mitchell was heading down the hallway on his way out of the building when he was approached by Sue Sylvester with a smile on her face. Hold up, Sue was smiling? _The_ Sue Sylvester had an expression on her face that wasn't a window to some devious plot to foil New Directions and/or deal some other kind of a damage?

"Hey there, Mitchell, glad I caught up with you," a good-natured Coach Sylvester? What kind of bizarro world was Mitchell teleported to? "Listen, I wanted to apologize for the way I've treated you in the past and a couple days ago. I've had time to think things over, and I suppose you weren't going to do it after all."

She was apologizing? Calling him by his real name? Definitely a bizarro world. "Uh... Umm... Thanks, Ms. Sylvester?"

"No no," she didn't want to take any credit, "Thank you, Mitchell, for not letting me destroy you... As I have so many other unfortunate delicate and fragile lambs in the past. By the way, is that talented Director of yours still in the room?"

Talented? Okay, this was getting scary. Something was really wrong with this whole picture, "Uhh," he scratched the back of his head, wincing slightly in confusion, "Yeah, he's... going over the Sectionals set list."

"Ah, thank you." and she went on her way to the music room.

_'Dude, seriously, what... the... hell?'_

**:::Home:::**

Another dinner that Mitchell didn't feel like eating. Sitting at the table, it wasn't that Mitchell didn't like the pork chops and potatoes that had been prepared. It was only his appetite. Or lack there of. His stomach was empty, yet felt like he couldn't fit a single bite inside of it.

It was just him and his father. Mitchell's mother having to work late. "What's the matter?" his father asked.

Mitchell just stared for a few seconds...

**Mitchell walked down the hallways of McKinley High, flanked by jocks that cleared his path whenever need be. The sounds of students hitting their lockers had become a common theme to Mitchell.**

He tried to shake his head free of the thoughts, "Nothing."

**Mitchell was set to sit with Rachel and Jack at the lunch table when he was pulled away by Santana and brought to a bigger table. Jack shrugged it off easily, but Rachel frowned in a subtle manner.**

"Spill it," his father set his fork down on the plate, wiping his hands with a cloth, "C'mon."

**Mitchell and Santana made out on the bleachers in front of all the practicing Cheerios and the football team. Uncomfortable, to say the least. But there were at least two other couples doing the same thing.**

"Really," Mitchell didn't want to go into it, "I'm good."

**Mitchell opened his locker, spotting the kid stationed next to him. Same one as all year. Only to find the kid cowering in fear and running away.**

"Are you sure?"

**Mitchell sat at the popular table in the cafeteria. Surrounded, yet alone at the same time.**

"Mitchell?"

**"Hey, Mitchell, right?" the football coach Ken Tanaka, "I've heard some good things about you from my boys. If you're ever interested in trying out, let me know."**

"Mitchell? Can you hear me? What's going on?"

**Mitchell entered the class room for Spanish, the proverbial sea parting for him. A quick glance to Mr. Schue, who just shook his head.**

Mitchell didn't want to be popular. He didn't care how bad it would make his life at McKinley. He didn't want to be liked by people simply because Santana told them to. Sure, he loved football, but he wasn't any good at it, and he had nothing in common with the players. He hated being feared by kids that he actually had more in common with in the first place. It just wasn't him. He didn't want to be the bully. He didn't want to turn into something that he hated.

Mitchell had to make this right. In that instant, an idea flashed brightly in his mind. He stood up from the table, quickly heading over to the phone, ignoring his dad in the process...

"Mitchell?" his father wondered, "By any chance, did you happen to lose the ability to communicate?"

Mitchell grabbed the phone, punching in the appropriate number as fast as he could...

"Hello?"

"Rach, it's Mitch!" no time for full first names, "Listen, Can you do me a huge favor?"

Rachel sighed, "I guess it depends on what the favor is?"

"Get everyone in the choir room tomorrow after school?"

"You should ask them yourself."

"Oh, and also, I'm going to need Jack's skeleton key before school starts."

"Jack doesn't have a skeleton key... That's just a rumor."

"Rachel..."

"Mitchell..."

"Rachel..."

"Okay, okay, fine," she huffed, "I don't see why you can't do this all yourself, though."

"I can't because I'll be too busy preparing."

"Preparing what?"

"You'll see."

**:::In the Halls:::**

The time for his big presentation was looming just over the horizon. With this in mind, Mitchell was in need of a bathroom break. Coming back, he happened to bump into Mr. Schuester who was walking towards the water fountain for a quick sip,

"Mitchell," Will quickly turned on a dime when he noticed his student, "Mind telling me why the choir room door is locked and the keys are nowhere to be found? Even my own personal set?"

"Uhh..." Mitchell stammered.

"Schuester!" Coach Sylvester's voice broke into the questioning as she marched toward them, "I'm gonna need to see that set list for sectionals after all. Listen closely, I want it on my desk nice and warm from the laminator at five sharp."

Oh no, she wasn't done yet,

"And, by the nauseating grace of all that is good and graceful in this world, if that paper is even one minute late, I will go to the nearest animal shelter and buy you a purrrrfect little kitty cat. That's right, purrrrfect. I will then let you fall in love with that purrrfect kitty cat. And then on some dark, cold night I will sneak into your home, I will steal it away and punch you in the face!"

Holy mother, the bitch was back!

Mitchell may have almost shat his pants right then and there, "She frightens me, Mr. Schuester." Mitchell whispered in a quivering voice as the coach walked away down the hall.

"Hey, Sue?" Will called out, to which she turned, "Didn't work out, huh?" he didn't want to say aloud Sue's personal business in the halls.

"No, it did not." and then she resumed her trek.

"What didn't work out?" Mitchell asked his teacher/director.

Will didn't have a chance to answer. At the end of the hall, Quinn and Sue had crossed paths. A sour feeling formed in the pit of Mitchell's stomach and he started moving his way toward the scene, not hearing Will's protests of the act... suddenly discovering bravery in the face of Sue Sylvester...

"Q, take off those sunglasses," Sue stated, "I wanna look in your eyes while I give you this piece of business."

Quinn complied, fear on her face.

"You're off the Cheerios," the bombshell, shrapnel everywhere, take cover, "I refuse to have a pregnant girl on my squad. You're a disgrace." and she walked away.

"You can't do that!" Mitchell boldly confronted the coach, "She's the best thing about that squad!"

Sue turned on her heels, glaring right through Mitchell, burning down his very soul, "What's that, Stinky? Grow a little self confidence, did ya? Good, it'll make it easier for you to accept this news hot off the press; All the little interruptions you've caused since coming here, not mentioning the attempted slushee attacks... Have not gone unheard. Expect a meeting between your parents and Principal Figgins in the very near future!"

And then she was gone, leaving devastation in her wake.

Quinn knew it was coming. Damn it, she could feel it for over a week now. There was just this sliver of hope that she was clinging to. It had slipped away, though, and now she couldn't move. She just tried her damndest not to cry in that hallway. To be brave and keep it together. How, though? How could you do that when your life was crashing down around you?

Mitchell knew his parents would be pissed at him. He didn't care right now. All he saw was Quinn Fabray breaking before him for the second consecutive time. He looked at her, wanting to tell her that everything would be fine, and that this was nothing to be sad about. But, that wasn't the truth. It was so much more. He couldn't just leave her hanging, though?

"You'll be okay," he finally said it, unsure of how she would receive it, "This is nothing, Quinn. You'll get past it."

She just looked at him for a couple moments, taking a step forward before turning around in retreat.

**:::Glee Club:::**

She didn't feel like being there, but she was. Sadly, already out of her Cheerios uniform. No doubt, Coach was already burning it inside of a metal can. Gasoline and everything. Despite her sadness, being here for Mitchell was important to her. After all, he listened to her at the hospital and he somewhat defended her honor earlier against Sue. He was becoming special to her, in his own quiet little way.

Everyone was standing outside in the hall, this including Mr. Schuester. The door was still locked and there was a couple layers of black construction paper blocking the window. In a pleasant twist, Finn had rejoined the club, much to Rachel's delight. Jack wasn't entirely thrilled, as there was the chance for him to really step up in the club without Finn around. But, there was no denying that it made Rachel happy.

"This is weak, man," Puck was aggravated and impatient, "I got business to take care of."

"Mitchell," Will knocked on the door a few times, "We're not going to wait much longer. We all have things to do."

Momentarily, the door was unlocked and the group piled in, eyes going wide with awe upon entry.

The choir room had transformed into almost a shrine to all the members of Glee. There were jars crafted to look like slushees with candles inside of them. Large blown-up photographs everywhere. One was of Rachel and Jack, genuinely smiling with their heads almost touching. It was taken while Rachel was away from New Directions for that short period of time. There was Finn and Quinn. The Quarterback and Cheerleader, a note written by Mitchell apologizing about not having enough time to change it. There were was an empty wheelchair with streamers on the back that coincided with the colors in Tina's hair. Football equipment along with a photo of Puck, Matt and Mike. A picture of Santana and Brittany together. One of Mercedes and Kurt as well. And then a banner with New Directions written in Spanish.

Last, but not least, a large framed picture of all of them from the Invitationals.

"Ironically," Mitchell spoke, sitting in the seats with a guitar in his hands, "I actually learned something at school this past week. Popularity does matter. But, only to fuel itself. Otherwise, who cares, right? All I know is... I was a lot happier when you guys were my only friends. And that's what I like about us. For better or worse, we care about each other like friends are supposed to. We don't always agree, we fight, whatever. But, at the end of the day, where do we always end up? Here. Together. Where we belong."

"So," he strummed down the strings once, getting comfortable, "I'm dedicating this song to all of us. It isn't a mash-up. But, it's one I like and I think it fits us perfectly."

Mitchell started playing softly, "_So close no matter how far_," Schuester recognized immediately as did Puck and Finn, who nodded at each other, "_Couldn't be much more from the heart_. _Forever trust in who we are, and nothing else matters._"

Mitchell took a breath and continued, "_I never opened myself this way. Life is ours, we live it our way. All these words I don't just say. And nothing else matters._"he sang loudly.

"_Trust I seek and I find in you. Everyday for us, something new. An open mind for a different view. And nothing else matters_."

Now stronger, "_Never cared for what they say! Never cared for games they play. Never cared for what they know! And I know..._" Mitchell let his voice linger for a couple seconds before returning to a softer touch...

"_So close no matter how far. Couldn't be much more from the heart. Forever trust in who we are. And nothing else matters_."

Mitchell continued softly plucking the strings, slowing a tiny bit more and more until the final note ended.

A pause from everyone, Quinn getting choked up, hands over her mouth and nose.

Rachel smiled, "Let me be the first to say... Welcome back, Mitchell Mason!"

They all cheered.

"Nailed it," Puck extended a hand, clapping it with Mitchell's, "Nice, dude. You actually did something cool for once."

"What does this mean?" Santana wondered, giving her man a quick hug, "You don't care about the popularity?"

"It isn't me," Mitchell shrugged, setting down the instrument, "I can't treat people like crap. Intentionally, anyway. Oh, plus, before I forget, I got slushees for everyone. To drink... that is." he reached for a box filled with the infamous cups.

Will applauded Mitchell, "You really hit this one home, Mitchell. I think we can all learn a little something from this. We all need to stay true to ourselves. Whether that means being popular or not, doesn't matter. All that does is being who we are. Honestly representing the truth inside of us."

"Even if it means a slushie facial everyday?" Quinn raised.

Will responded, "No worries, Quinn. Because you have all your friends right here who are going to be more than happy to clean you off."

They cheered again. Quinn and Mitchell exchanged a brief glance.

"Oh, ouch," Will grimaced, "Brain freeze. I can't imagine getting hit in the kisser with one of these."

"Kisser?" Santana raised a brow, "Who says that anymore?"

"Schue, that's who." Kurt quipped.

Then everyone kinda looked at each other, sipping on their slushees. Artie had to get it confirmed, "You've never been hit by a slushee before, Mr. Schue?"

"Can't say I... Uh-oh," the mob was drawing nearer, mischief in their eyes, "All right, guys. Bring it on. Give me your best shot!"

Rachel counted down, "One... Two... Three!"

"AAAAAHHHH!"

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_What's more important, being popular or being yourself? A typical high school thing. I hope Mitchell inevitably declining his popularity speaks volumes about his character and the type of person he really is. He's accident-proned, clumsy, babbles from time to time, but has a lot of heart when he's able to summon enough strength. I didn't get much into Santana's reaction to Mitchell's decision because I wanted to save that for the next chapter. Speaking of "Wheels" it's going to be a lot of fun._

_The song is "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica, though I actually used the Aaron Lewis cover version in my head._


	10. Wheels

I used a little too much dialogue from the show in this chapter. I'm gonna watch out for that in future chapters.

**Glee: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 10- "Wheels"**

Mitchell Marcus Mason sat by himself at the top of the bleachers, back against the wall. This was per an order from Sue Sylvester. She'd let him wait for practice to end because of Santana, but he had to be as far away from her as possible.

Speaking of Santana, their relationship was on the rocks. Jagged, sharp, breakable rocks. The kind that could shred your skin if you fell down onto them. She was still upset about him with what transpired last month during the whole popularity fiasco.

**"How dare you?" Santana stomped her foot, ready to rage, "After all I did, you're just going to throw it away? I thought that stunt in glee was just for everyone's else's benefit?"**

**"Ummm... No?"**

Downhill ever since, folks. Not to mention, Santana giving Rachel the evil eye after Puck gave Rachel the sweet eyes during that performance of Sweet Caroline. All in all, troubled waters with no floatation device anywhere in the vicinity.

Mitchell gave a quick head nod to Finn, as the quarterback did the same while walking in and taking a seat next to Quinn. Mitchell had offered to keep Quinn company, but the former cheerleader politely declined. She wasn't in a good mood. Of course, who could blame her at this point? She had a lot on her plate. Too much, actually.

They had a discussion, which seemed to be teetering on the brink of an argument. Moments later, Quinn was walking out almost in tears. After that, Finn climbed to the top to sit next to Mitchell, "Hey, dude, there wouldn't happen to be an opening at the Gift Shop?"

"Nah, sorry," Mitchell responded, "I'll let you know if something opens up, though."

"Thanks," Finn nodded, pausing before going further, "Man... this baby stuff. It's crazy."

"I don't envy you guys."

"It's just like... One day you're toasting wimps on X-Box and the day after that... You're scrambling just to make ends meet. Kinda feels like... The two of us are growing up too fast, you know?"

"Doctor's bills?" Mitchell finally asked.

"Yeah, but it's just the starting, right? Doctor's bills, hospital bills. Then it'll be rent and electric bills. I'm ready to do this, I guess, but I have no idea how I'm going to. I can't find anyone that's hiring."

"Something will come along," Mitchell assured him, watching Santana finish a routine, "Sucks now, but you guys will be fine."

"I hope so," Finn noticed Santana, "So, how are things between you guys? I heard she's still pissed at you."

"You know how it feels right before a thunderstorm?" Mitchell asked, trying to paint a picture, "It's really quiet, the sky looks wierd and there's this breeze that kinda comes out of nowhere?"

"Like that?"

"Like that."

**:::Glee Club:::**

Everyone was gathered in the choir room. Mike and Matt were talking football, Brittany and Santana sitting together, and Rachel was chatting with Jack about future musical choices. Quinn and Finn were whispering to each other. Mitchell was just kinda sitting by himself, reflecting on his recent situation. How was he going to fix things with Santana? Every time he tried to talk to her or even look her way, he was ignored completely.

"Hey guys," Will walked in, instantly beginning to pass out music sheets, "Something new for sectionals. I did a little research on the past winners. Turns out that judges like more Broadway type selections. More standards."

"Defying Gravity?" Kurt read the sheet, lighting up with a bright smile, "I have an Ipod that is strictly Wicked. This is amazing."

"How do you feel about it, Rachel?" Mr. Schue turned immediately to Rachel, much to Kurt's despair.

"In the bag, Mr. Schue. I know this song frontwards and backwards?"

"How 'bout sidewards?" Puck laughed.

"Too vanilla," Mercedes joined in, "What we need is my chocolate thunder."

Everyone laughed.

Onto a more serious subject, the laughs came to an end after Mr. Schuester's next bit of information, "I have some bad news, guys. I heard just a while ago that the school won't be able to pay for the special bus we need to take Artie with us to sectionals."

Everyone voiced their disgust at once.

"Not to worry, though. I have an idea," Will came prepared, "We're going to raise money to pay for it ourselves."

The students all saw this as a good idea, but weren't sure what to expect from Will. After all, this was a man who once thought a Le Freak performance would be brilliant.

"When my old glee club needed something, we had decided to raise money by holding a bake sale."

Not a popular idea. For the most part, though, they all figured he was joking. When it became apparent that he was very much not joking around, it became even less popular. Ironic in a way, considering recent popularity woes amongst certain members.

"You've got to be joking, right?" Santana didn't want to believe it, "Bake Sales are pretty bougie."

Bougie? Mitchell cocked a brow, wondering what the hell that meant.

"No offense, Mr. Schue, but no one really has time enough for a bake sale." Finn said.

"Some of us don't know how to bake." Mitchell came right out with it, Brittany agreeing.

"Of course you don't." Santana rolled her eyes.

Mitchell restrained himself from responding to her.

"Not to sound rude, Mr. Schuester, but can't Artie's dad drive him to Sectionals?" Mercedes wondered, hoping that wasn't too rude.

Mr. Schuester was surprised and actually a bit offended for Artie to here this from the group. Artie was one of them. Should it not have been one for all and all for one? "I can't believe how insensitive you're all being. And here I was thinking that we would be tighter than ever because of everything that's happened recently."

"I mean, aren't you all a team?" Will had to ask.

"Of course we are," Quinn took the chance to speak, "But, Artie understands. Don't you, Artie?"

"Yeah," Artie shrugged somewhat, "It's no big deal. I understand that we're all busy and anything that takes away from our time here is only going to hurt us in the long run."

School bell came next.

Mitchell grabbed his things quickly and followed Santana out, having to maneuver in front of her just to grab her attention long enough to pull a few words out, "We have to talk."

"No, we don't," she dismissed the very idea, aggravated and annoyed. It was like the girl that Mitchell saw that night they went out on a date was erased entirely, "There's nothing to talk about."

"Yes, there is," he couldn't let it linger, not with a clear conscience, "We need to talk about why you won't talk about our problems."

"Fine," Santana stopped on a dime, making a scene in the middle of the hall, "I have tried and tried and even tried some more to raise you to my level, okay? Every bone I throw you, though, you throw right back in my face. And, I'm starting to get really sick of it. Like, real sick."

God help him, he didn't know what to say.

"It's a losing battle," she then repeated herself, "You're a losing battle, Mitchell. If this is going to work, then you need to step up and be a man. Otherwise, we're finished. I'm serious. I'm done with you if you screw up one more time."

Mitchell took a breath, roughly running his hands over his hair, messing it up more than it already was, "What if we just agree to be ourselves? No trying to change each other, nothing like that. We just..."

"No!" Santana put her foot down, "I'm a cheerleader, soon to be head cheerleader. To stay with me, you need to put in the extra effort. So, Mitchell, put in the extra effort or tap out. I'm not dealing with this bullshit anymore."

And she walked away. Shaking off the various stares and whispers, Mitchell headed down the opposite end of the hall, upset but not letting it show. Rounding a corner, he spotted Finn and Quinn talking. This go around, Quinn slammed her locker before stomping off. Finn proceeded to punch one. The stress was getting to the both of them.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Step up? What the hell did she mean? Sell his soul to become popular again? He didn't want that. Mitchell was happy to keep the friends that he had. A slushee now and then wasn't enough to dissuade him. And apparently, neither was risking the loss of his girlfriend. Mitchell just wasn't in a good mental place right then. Most of the club meeting went over his head.

"I have an announcement," Kurt stood rather suddenly just before Mr. Schuester started talking, "I realize this may seem a touch risque, but I wanna audition for the Wicked solo."

What!

"There's a difficult high F, Kurt." Mr. Schuester didn't see it happening in his mind, "It's... very high."

"Well within my range."

Jack laughed out loud.

"I'm sorry, Kurt, Rachel's got it," Mr. Schuester wasn't budging, "But, I'll be happy to have you try something else. Killer high note and all."

Kurt was crushed as Rachel seemed pleased.

"Now onto something that's been bothering me," Will stepped forward, "I was really disappointed at how you were all so willing to take the bus together to sectionals without Artie. Didn't we learn anything from Mitchell's gift a couple weeks ago? We're supposed to be a team. We're on this road together, for better or worse."

"_Wheels_ has his own wheels," Jack had an idea, "What if we just hitch it to the back of the bus?"

"Dude!" Mitchell gasped at how blatantly wrong that idea was.

"Artie doesn't care," Mercedes, "His dad drives him all over the place."

"I do care," Artie confessed, "That... kind of hurt my feelings."

"We weren't expecting you to take it personally," Rachel spoke on behalf of the group.

"Well, you're irritating most of the time, but don't take that personally."

"Rude!" Jack commented while Rachel frowned.

"This made me realize something," Will spoke again, "I don't think any of you truly understand how much harder Artie has it than the rest of you. Guys, we're riding to sectionals as a team or we're not going at all. I'll pull New Directions out of the competition if I have to. And to pay for it, we're having a bake sale."

"Now, to really hit home all of this, I visited a tag sale that St. Ignatius Nursing Home was having." Will stepped aside as a proverbial caravan of wheelchairs were pushed into the room by the A.V. Club, "For the next five days, each of you is going to spend at least three hours a day in one of these," he gestured to the chairs. "Plus, we're doing a wheelchair number."

Artie clapped, everyone else turned a sickly pale.

**:::In The Halls:::**

"This is downright undignified." Jack stated as he and Mitchell rolled the halls next to each other. Though, strangely enough, Jack Harmon had a motorized chair.

Mitchell's arms already felt like dead weight by the end of the first hour, "Where did you get that? I mean, it's not the one that..."

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jack hit a higher gear and was amongst the sea of students.

Mitchell turned a corner, not watching where he was going - too focused on his exhausted arms - and ended up accidentally rolling right over Karofsky's foot.

"WHAT THE HELL, GLEE FREAK?"

Mitchell stared up in horror, unable to move fast enough. Not a second later, his chair was rolling down the hall at a much higher rate of speed than was ever intended by the original designer. A harsh impact into a set of lockers later, Mitchell was trying to shake the cobwebs.

"First one's always the worst," there was Artie, "Even if it doesn't hurt the most. Just... something about it."

Mitchell felt the need to apologize, "I'm sorry, Artie. About how we all acted... How I acted. Mr. Schuester's right about us being a team for better or worse."

Artie shrugged his shoulders, "I know you guys didn't intend to be mean. Still, though, it feels nice to hear an apology."

"So," Mitchell shook his head a little more, wincing, "Any tips for a rookie?"

"Nothing much," his answer, "Well, other than... Brakes are your friends."

Mitchell palmed his face, "I forgot about the damn brakes."

"I have to go. Tina's waiting."

"Later."

"Bye."

Straightening his wheels and checking how good his brakes were, Mitchell started rolling once more. This time, a little bit more prepared for any danger that he could possibly encounter. He had to hand it to Artie. Obviously, it was easy to see that using a wheelchair was nothing simple. But, Mitchell never really realized just how hard it actually was. Lesson learned, Mr. Schue.

Mitchell made it a ways before running across Quinn in the hallway. He was instantly curious, wondering why the heck she was covered in some kind of baking ingredients. He rolled up beside her, looking up as she walked, a smile on her face that he wasn't expecting to see...

"You're in a good mood," he observed, concentrating on his chair use, "Finn find a job?"

"Not yet," she answered, not thinking to slow her pace, which was difficult for Mitchell to keep up with, "I just did a little baking. Put me in a good mood for some reason." she was thinking of Puck.

"I'm glad I ran... wheeled... into you. I had an idea... Umm... About your money problem."

"You do?" she was curious yet skeptical.

"Yeah," they ducked into an empty class room for a minute, "I have money."

"No." she replied almost before he finished the sentence.

"Wait..."

"No, Mitchell," her head turned side to side, "I'm not taking your money away from you."

"Just hear me out."

She sighed, "All right."

"I don't need everything that I make," he explained honestly, "I really don't. I have a lot saved up that I haven't been spending. You... _And Finn_... Need it more than I do. Just until you get on your feet."

"I like you, Mitchell," she said in that delicate voice she had, "I like our talks at the hospital. It's sweet of you to offer, but I can't accept it. What if it came between us? Or between you and Finn?"

"I wouldn't hold anything against either of..."

"You say that now," she was making sense, "Plus, you should really be spending it on yourself and Santana."

Mitchell sighed, his head tilting back for a moment, "Santana."

Quinn wanted to let Mitchell in on the real reason behind his relationship with Santana. But doing so, would only cost her the relationships and friendships she had built within the club. If everyone found out that Quinn, Santana and Brittany were originally spies, any and all trust would be broken. Not to mention, she feared that Mitchell's heart would take a beating.

"Concentrate on her," Quinn's advice, "I know she's on the warpath ever since you denounced your popularity, but she still cares about you. If she didn't, she wouldn't be bothering with you at all."

"I don't know what to do," he sat up in the chair, "I don't know how to fix it. I mean... everything that she wants from me is everything I don't want to be."

She didn't want to say this next part, but maybe it was for the best, "If that's really the case, then I hate to say this, but maybe... You need to look at the relationship the same way you looked at being popular."

Quinn made her exit after the advice, in desperate need of a shower and change of clothes. Mitchell sat alone in that empty room, thinking it all over. Quinn was right. However, Mitchell cared a lot more about Santana than his popularity. Letting that all go was a lot easier than saying goodbye to her. Although, he would need to re-connect with it if he wanted to stay with her.

How important was Santana to him? How much did he value their relationship? What was he willing to do to save it?

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

A bit nerve-wracking, Santana sat in Sue's office. She assumed that Ms. Sylvester was going to be in a foul mood concerning how bad everything went with Mitchell. Truth be told, Santana was actually dreading this day to come. She didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but if Sue could drop Quinn Fabray...

"Santana!" Sue greeted loudly as she entered her office, preferring to remain standing, "While I have mixed feelings about how you have handled dismantling Stinky, there's no denying the sheer determination that you have so glaringly displayed."

She gulped.

"Congratulations," Sue almost smiled, "The head cheerleader position is yours."

"Thank you, Ms. Sylvester," Santana smiled proudly, "Unlike a certain somebody, I won't let you down."

"In that I have the utmost confidence." and that was the truth, "Now, get outta here before Schuester sees you."

Santana headed for the door, but hesitated before leaving, "What about Mitchell?"

"What about him?"

"Am I off the hook?" she wondered, "Can I just..."

Sue took the hint, grinning, "Like a bag of trash."

**:::Glee Club:::**

"Now, all of you are going to judge. And everyone gets a vote. Whoever has the most, gets the part."

It was going against what Will had originally planned, but Burt had a point. Kurt deserved a fair chance at winning the solo. Therefore, Will had taken it upon himself to adjust accordingly. There would now be a sing-off between Rachel and Kurt. Whether Rachel wanted there to be or not.

The students all sat in the room, sitting in their wheelchairs, listening closely. Rachel's eyes told the tale. She was not happy with this at all...

"This isn't going to be fair, Mr. Schuester," Rachel needed to speak up on her behalf, "Let's be honest, they're all just waiting for the chance to watch me fall!"

"Ahem!" Jack cleared his throat.

"Almost all of them, I mean." Rachel corrected herself.

Kurt took the initiative, "If I may... We all know that I'm not only more popular, but dress much much better than Rachel. That said, I want all of you to promise Rachel and myself that you're going to vote for whoever sings the song better. So... Raise your right hand."

Everyone did. Well... except for Brittany. If only righty tighty lefty loosey could apply to all situations involving your hands.

Then came swearing that the better singer would be voted for. Following that, the meeting was done and they all rolled out. Save for Rachel and Mitchell.

"What the hell?" Mitchell couldn't get his chair to move, "C'mon! Go!"

Rachel confronted Mr. Schuester, "Maybe someday... You'll discover new teaching methods that don't involve ruining my life."

With Rachel out of the room, Mitchell was still having some trouble, "Umm... Mr. Schue? I think something's wrong with my chair."

Will noticed it immediately, "The brake, Mitchell."

"Oh my god," Mitchell scoffed at himself, releasing the mechanism, "Could I possibly be anymore of a loser at this point?"

"Something the matter?" Will didn't want to pry, but if there was anything he could do to help...

"I'm on the outs with Santana," Mitchell blurted, staring up at Mr. Schuester with a sad expression, "I don't want her to go, but I don't know how to stop her."

"I did notice the cold shoulder," Will saw it clearly now, "Listen, just let me ask you this? Are you happy with your relationship?"

Mitchell nodded weakly.

"Mitchell..." Will sighed, "How can you say that when you're thinking about Quinn so much?"

"How'd you know?" Mitchell gasped, mentally scolding himself, "Wait, I mean... what are you talking about?"

Will laughed a little, "I see the way you look at her. The way you light up when she walks into the room. You got it bad, Mitchell."

"Santana."

"Santana." Will acknowledged, "You're not being fair to yourself, Mitchell. There might be a spark between the two of you, but it's coming second to the one you feel when you're around Quinn."

Mitchell took a breath, swallowing.

"Listen, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I'm not saying to go after Quinn right now, either. But, what I am saying is... Open your ears and listen to your heart. What's it telling you to do?"

Mitchell was quiet for a moment before answering, "It's telling me that I'll be alone for a really long time if I stop clinging to Santana."

**:::Glee Club Bake Sale:::**

"Cupcakes suck. That's why we're not selling any."

"It's not about the cupcakes. It's about us. We're in glee club and wheelchairs. We might as well be selling people STD's."

"She has a point. Six months ago I could have sold fifty of these things on fear alone."

That pretty much summed up the experience as good as anything. The bake sale was a no sale. Sitting at a table full of cupcakes and treats; Finn, Puck, Quinn, Santana and Mitchell knew this was going nowhere. Making matters worse was the tension being felt between them all. You could have cut it with a knife.

Adding to it all was the sudden appearance of Brittany minus a wheelchair, plus a fellow student by the name of Becky, "See so many? And look how pretty they are, Becky."

"Where's your wheelchair?" Mitchell wondered.

"I lost it."

Strangely, that made all the sense in the world.

"Are you a cheerleader?" Becky asked Santana, "That's so cool."

Santana just kind of looked away.

Seconds later, Brittany was buying Becky a cupcake. Which raised the grand total to one dollar. Really cooking with gas now, huh?

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Quinn exclaimed, frustrated, annoyed, angry, humiliated, fed up.

"Maybe if we put a jelly bean on top." Finn offered.

"Or a chocolate?" Mitchell too.

"Are you an idiot?" Quinn and Santana asked their respective boyfriends in surround-sound. Then Quinn went solo, "How am I supposed to trust you with our baby if you can't even figure out how to sell a damn cupcake?"

"Stop attacking me," Finn was equally frustrated, "I'm sick of it."

"Get a job!" Quinn pressed.

"I'm trying!" Finn bolted, kicking the wheel chair down in the process. Quinn rolled away to follow him out.

"How can I expect you to man-up if your best idea is putting a chocolate on top?" Santana scowled at Mitchell.

"At least I had an idea." Mitchell responded with a little fire.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means... You're driving me crazy!" Mitchell stood up to leave, but accidentally tripped on his chair and smacked the floor, groaning in pain, "Crap!"

"Allow me." Santana was the one stomping away, Brittany joining her.

"You all right, dude?" Puck asked, but didn't bother to help Mitchell up.

Mitchell sorely picked himself up, plopping back down into the chair, "I can't take her anymore."

"That's Santana," simple enough, "You either love her or hate her. Comes with the territory."

"I don't get it," Mitchell shook his head, "I thought that being yourself was the most important thing. I thought that's what girls liked. I mean... I know it's Santana... But I thought that in the end..."

"This ain't a movie, Mitchell," Puck laid it out, "Real life is different. No matter what anyone says, there aren't any rules. Besides, if she's giving you this bad of a headache, just find someone else."

"Find someone else," Mitchell repeated sarcastically, "Like girls are cars or something. Whatever. I'm lucky to have her, no one else wants anything to do with me. Which makes me all the more pathetic!"

"So now, you gotta ask yourself, dude," Puck decided on eating a cupcake, though he didn't pay for it, "If no one's into you, then why is she even bothering with you in the first place?"

"Whatever!" Mitchell angrily rolled away.

"Wait!" Puck called out, "Hold up! What am I supposed to do with all these?"

**:::Music Room:::**

Mitchell didn't know what to do next. Which was the common thread these days. He was clueless, confused, unable to make sense of the majority of his thoughts. He felt scattered and sore. Impending doom hovered above his head. The bake sale was the nail in the coffin and he knew it... he felt it. There was no hope for he and Santana, not one tiny ounce.

He sat alone in the music room, trying to gather his thoughts, trying to miraciously discover a brave new idea that would remedy everything. No such luck, though. Nothing was good enough. Nothing that he was thinking of would be even close to strong enough.

"M-M-Mitchell?"

He turned his head to the unexpected voice. It was Tina. She had forgotten something in the room. Like him, she was also in the wheelchair. He acknowledged her with a nod of his head.

"Are you okay?" she was concerned.

He wanted to say yes. He wanted to lie. But, in that moment, he couldn't, "No." his voice no louder than a whisper.

Tina looked at him, silently urging him to speak if he wanted.

"She hates me," a conclusion, a full realization, "She can't stand to even look at me. I-I never realized... How much it would hurt."

They weren't the best of friends. They both knew this. It wasn't because they didn't like each other. The main reason was that they never seemed to talk to one another at all. They considered themselves to be friends, but it was nothing close. Tina was much more involved with the likes of Artie and Mercedes, while Mitchell was usually seen with the more noticeable members of New Directions.

However, it didn't feel right to leave with Mitchell in such obvious pain, "You should talk to her. Tell her exactly how you feel."

His eyes were red, "She won't listen. It's over. It's done."

"I'm sorry, Mitchell."

"I still can't let her go, though," it made him feel pathetic, made him miserable, but he couldn't be the one that ended the relationship, "Not after... I thought we were... We're not... I'm gonna go."

Mitchell rolled out before Tina could think of anything more to say.

**:::In The Halls:::**

Still upset, Mitchell rolled the halls to his next class after the free period. As luck would have it, he came across Karofsky. Apparently, the bear-like puck-head wasn't quite over having his foot trapped underneath the wheels of one Mitchell Marcus Mason.

"What did I tell you about riding in the same hall that I'm walking in?"

Mitchell looked at him, confused, "You didn't say..."

"I did!"

Mitchell didn't care at this point, choosing to just turn away. In hindsight, he should have chosen to care. His chair was grabbed and shoved very hard into the lockers, his leg getting sandwiched in the middle. Mitchell yelped out in pain, the students in the students watching closely.

"HEY!" Finn's roar, "How about someone your own size, Karofsky?"

"Fine by me, Fag!" the confrontation was in full-force until being extinguished by Santana, Brittany and Matt who happened to be walking by.

"Not here, not now!" Matt stepped in-between.

Karofsky eventually exited the scene as a couple teachers started approaching.

"You okay, Mitchell?" Matt noticed Mitchell tending to his leg.

"I'm good, thanks, man." Mitchell extended his hand, clapping it together with Matt's.

"Your leg." Santana pointed out, "Don't act stupid, you're not good."

"Don't tell me how to..."

"If Karofsky messes with you again, let me know." Finn and Mitchell clapped hands as well.

"I appreciate it, but it's nothing."

"Nah, you shouldn't have to take his crap," Finn didn't want to see Mitchell hurt, "Besides, Quinn told me about what you did. That's cool of you, dude. But, I have to agree with what she said."

Santana raised a brow, "What did you do?"

Mitchell didn't answer.

"What did he do?"

Finn realized he had made a mistake. Silently cursing himself, he slowly backed away. Matt doing the same as they moved out of sight.

"What the hell did you do?"

"I... offered," he hesitated, the lump building in his throat, "Quinn... and Finn... some... a little... money."

The fire in her eyes, Santana glared.

"Just a few bucks, really." Mitchell tried softening blow.

"I kindly asked you to try a little harder for me... For us... And you can't do shit..."

Kindly?

"... But, you're willing to hand over your money to her?"

"And Finn."

"No, Mitchell," Santana was filled with anger, "I'm not blind. I'm not half-retarded like Finn, either. It's for her."

"I'm really sorry," he apologized, lips attempting not to quiver, "I just meant it as friends. I just wanted to help out."

"Help _her_ out." Santana dismissed, "If you were such a wonderful giving person, you would have donated to the bus fund."

Everyone watched. More of the Glee club had arrived, yet kept their distance. Quinn came last, watching in silence. Kurt had tears in his eyes for Mitchell, Rachel watched with hands over her mouth and Jack's hands on her shoulders.

"Why did I ever think I could help you?" Santana shook her head, letting it all pour out of her, "I've busted my ass, broke my back lifting you up. And, you don't care at all."

"I do care!" Mitchell pushed out of the chair, standing up, albeit a bit gingerly on that leg, "I always did! You're the one that was never happy! I don't know why you ever went out with me in the first place! Nothing has ever been good enough for you!"

"Screw this, I give up." and she took off the bracelet he had bought her, throwing it at him, the straw that broke the camel's back, "Mitchell, you're impossible!"

What was worse? The pain in his leg or the one building in his heart?

"Do it," he whispered mercy, eyes closed, "Please, get it over with."

If you were close enough to Santana, and you stared into her eyes, you'd notice how red they were. This wasn't supposed to be bothering her, but it was. This didn't mean she loved him or anything crazy like that, but she did care about him. He had treated her differently than just about every single guy in McKinley, the list including Noah Puckerman. While it lasted, it felt good at times.

"We're done."

The statement.

New Directions watched in sadness, this now including Mr. Schuester.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Amazing just how strong his dedication to glee club had become. Although the messy and extremely public break-up with Santana Lopez was still fresh in everyone's minds, Mitchell didn't want to let down the club, nor did he want to disappoint Artie. After all, this was the big wheelchair number.

They were in front of each other, decked out in their outfits, in their wheelchairs. Santana and Mitchell. At first, silence between the two. Despite glee meetings between now and then, they hadn't said a word to each other, neither knowing what to say to the other. But, this had to be squashed. They both understood that.

"I'm sorry." they both said at the same time, drawing a quick chuckle.

"I... I don't know what to say," Mitchell admitted to his former girlfriend, "To tell you the truth, right now the whole thing is a blur. From celibacy club to the break-up. Just... fuzzy, blurry images."

"We should have never been together," Santana spoke from her heart, "We're too different. It was fun once and awhile, but it was never good."

"Whether we knew it or not, something was always wrong." Mitchell finished her thought, "I want to ask you something, though. Did... Did you ever really like me... at all?"

Hesitation on her part. This gave Santana a golden opportunity to spill the truth. But, after deciding against it, she wanted to spill a different truth, "Yes. But... I swear to god... If you tell anyone..."

Mitchell smiled partly, "No worries."

"Are we going to be okay?" she wondered, "We're both in this club, we're going to see each other all the time."

"It'll take some getting used to," that was obvious, "I'll be fine, though."

"You two!" Jack called out, still rocking the motorized wheelchair, "Some time, today?"

Santana and Mitchell both shot him a glance before returning their sight to each other and speaking at the same second, "Be right there, Jack-Ass!"

_**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_Painful to write. The inevitable death. Mitchell and Santana are no more. Mitchell's okay for now, but this is going to take its toll on him. In the next chapter, we find out the others reactions and thoughts on this major development. How will it affect the club? Will it at all?_


	11. Ballad

This chapter was hard to write. So hard, in fact, that I ditched the original idea and broke script. So, what you're now going to read (HOPEFULLY) was done one-hundred percent on the fly with no planning. Minus a flashback, line for line was typed out as it popped into my head hours ago. Well, everything after the first glee meeting, I should say.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 11- "Ballad"**

Mitchell Marcus Mason was aggravated. Mind, body and soul all irritated at the current point in time. Once the wheelchair number had come to a close, the negativity returned in spades. He just felt so agitated. Lately, it seemed like every little thing was sneaking underneath his skin. Sadly, even Ms. Pillsbury...

**Mitchell accidentally sneezed in the Guidance office, and even though he covered with both hands, Ms. Pillsbury was damn near ready to call the C.D.C., "I'M NOT POISONOUS!"**

This was a real test, though; There was the thirty-something mother of only god knew how many children, walking around Mr. Sanders' tiny little gift shop like it was frickin' Wal-Mart! And... it was just... so... annoying. Not to mention, she was one of those people who had to touch every single thing that she looked at. Every single damn thing! Fingerprints on glass, items put down backwards, very very very very fragile delicate little things almost dropped and shattered to bits.

Mitchell stood at the register, feeling what could best be described as how Bruce Banner must have felt right before transforming into the Incredible Hulk. He took a breath to keep himself calm, grabbing a broom and dust pan to do a little sweeping around while he waited. Of course, the very second that he started sweeping, the woman magically finalized her choice and brought it up to the register.

Classic!

Mumbling far below his breath, Mitchell set the broom down and quickly yet lightly treaded to the register to ring his customer up. But, just as he did so...

"Oh gosh," she winced, "I forgot I need to buy for two people. Hold on just a quick ten seconds."

A quick ten seconds?

Mitchell counted, and those quick ten seconds morphed into three long minutes. The entire duration of those agonizing one-hundred and eighty seconds were spent listening to her apologize repeatedly. Over and over and over and...

"PICK SOMETHING!"

He instantly regretted the outburst, the woman nearly exploding into tears that instant. An extremely awkward silence later, she went straight towards the door.

"Wait, wait," Mitchell tried apologizing as he came around the register, still limping a little from his run-in with Karofsky, "I'm so sorry."

"Mitchell, have you gone crazy?" Mr. Sanders came out from the back as the woman left, "You can't do that. You can't yell at the customers."

Mitchell tried keeping himself calm, "I know, but she was taking _soooooooooo_ long."

"So?" Mr. Sanders didn't see any problem, "What does that matter? Paying customers can take as long as they want. Mitchell, I have got to ask you... What's wrong? You're not yourself lately, and you still haven't told me what's wrong with your leg."

Mitchell had no intention of talking about his life with his boss.

"Okay, fair enough," Mr. Sanders couldn't risk a repeat performance, "Maybe you should take a few days off?"

Mitchell rolled his eyes, that aggravation level rising yet again. The vacation may have been a good idea. Too bad he couldn't do that with school unless he was sick. Nonetheless, Mitchell grabbed his jacket and left not only the store, but the hospital itself as well.

**:::Glee Club:::**

It stands to reason that Mr. Schuester would pick now to focus on ballads. Love songs were probably the last thing Mitchell wanted to think about, let alone learn about. Just the boy's luck. Making matters worse was Santana looking as hot as usual. No, don't think about that. Think about Quinn. No, don't. There was always Rachel, who always wore those skirts and those leggings and holy crap... focus on something else. No girls, no sexual thoughts, no relationship thoughts. No love thoughts.

By the time Mitchell snapped out of the trance he had propelled himself into, everyone was staring at him for some reason that he was clueless about.

"What?"

"Pick a name out of the hat," Mr. Schuester enlightened the boy who thinks too much, "Whoever you pick is your partner."

"Oh," okay then, "For what?"

"Mitchell, bless you, but you live in your own little world, don't you?" Kurt commented.

"We're doing ballads with partners," Mr. Schuester explained further, "There are names in this hat. You're going to pick one out."

"If it's okay," Mitchell desired to be alone for this assignment, "I'd like to do the assignment myself. Uhh... I mean, by myself. It'll be uneven, anyway, because Matt and Jack are out today."

"No," Will calmly rejected that idea, "We're partnering up. You're next to pick. C'mon, let's go."

"I don't want to." Mitchell stood firm, though he was seated.

"Mitchell..."

"I DON'T WANT TO PARTNER WITH ANYONE," now Mitchell was standing and moving to the door with his backpack over his shoulder, "God, is it that hard to understand?"

"That was awkward." Artie remarked.

Everyone kinda looked at Santana, "What? We already had our talk. He said he'd be fine in awhile. We just need to ride it out."

"It's funny how all your solutions involve _riding it out_." a sharp little jab courtesy of a sly smirking Quinn.

"I think that Mitchell and Santana should pair-up," Rachel announced her opinion, "Mitchell may be the only one acting out, but they're both distracted."

"I'm not distracted!" Santana believed otherwise, "Besides, I already picked Brittany."

"Actually," Mr. Schue snapped his fingers, "I think that's a very good idea, Rachel."

"You're agreeing with her?" Santana needed her ears checked, because there was no way she was hearing this right.

The rest of the group voiced their opinion. And, it was one that they all shared. The lingering issues from the relationship between Santana and Mitchell had to be resolved without further delay. No more skirting around it.

Santana was not happy at all, "Fine!"

**:::Principal's Office:::**

Of course, this just had to happen now. Now, of all times, Mitchell's parents had to be called in. Apparently, Sue had caught wind of the incident in Ms. Pillsbury's office. One thing lead to another, and now Mitchell, his parents, Mr. Schuester, Ms. Sylvester and Principal Figgins were all together in the big man's office.

"So, why are we here?" Mitchell's father started, "My wife and I were under the assumption that Mitchell was doing perfectly all right in school."

"There has been some trouble with your son," Figgins explained, "Particularly, his knack for disruption."

"He's been under a lot of stress lately," Mr. Schuester tried softening the blow, "Glee's been a little difficult, he's had issues fitting in, plus his break-up with Santana."

"You and Santana aren't together anymore?" his parents asked.

"Let's not sugar-coat this," Sue stepped in, "Not my style, therefore not what's going to happen. Mr. and Mrs. Mason, your son is a troublemaker. And what's worse, half the time it's like he has no comprehension of even realizing what he's doing. He's out of control. You gotta rein him in. I have a few tips that should..."

"You said nothing to us," Mitchell's mother, "Why didn't you tell us you were having trouble?"

Mitchell shrugged his shoulders, as he always seemed to do.

Mitchell's father sighed, "I should have known. Sanders was asking about you, but I didn't pay attention."

"I'm fine." Mitchell stated, "There's nothing to worry about."

"You're not fine," his father again, "If you were, we wouldn't be here right now, would we? Ah, another thing... a few weeks ago... That night when you were so distracted. I knew something was wrong."

"Mr. Schue?" Mitchell's way of asking for help.

"Okay," Will spoke up, "I realize this isn't nothing. But, I don't think it's as bad as it's been made out to be."

"Physical violence isn't as bad as it's been made out to be?" Sue. It was always freakin' Sue Sylvester.

"Physical violence?"

"A slushee facial is not physical violence, Sue," Will started getting angry, "Now, c'mon, if you're going to put him on trial, at least make it fair. Besides the point, Mitchell never even did it."

"A slushee facial?" his father asked.

"Sounds disgusting." his mother.

"The only reason that he didn't go through with the act of throwing an icy flavored beverage into a poor defenseless innocent student's face was because I stopped him."

"All right, all right," Figgins cooled them down, "Deep breath, let's not get too worked up."

"What are we looking at here?" Mr. Mason wanted to get to the root of the problem, "Detention? A suspension, what?"

"There hasn't been any punishment yet," Figgins assured them, "But, I must say that if this type of behavior continues to continue, my hand will have been forced."

Continues to continue?

"If I may," Sue once more, "Now, while I am not an official parent, I deem myself an honorary one. Why? Well, I'm the coach of the Cheerleading team known as the Cheerios. Watch Fox Sports once in awhile, you'll see me and the team. So, that said, I know what it's like dealing with teenagers. And, in my experience, depriving them of something meaningful to their lives is the only true way to make sure they don't repeat the same mistakes over and over again."

Will didn't like where she was going with this, but before he had a chance to object...

"You gotta ask yourself, was Mitchell ever in trouble before joining glee club?"

"Whoah, whoah, whoah..." Will couldn't get a word out...

"You know what," Mitchell's mother, "It makes sense."

"No," it was like Mitchell had just caught a game winning touchdown, only to bobble it in his hands, "I like glee club. I mean... a lot. Mr. Schuester?"

"If that's what it takes to get our son back on track," his father, "Then make it official. Take Mitchell out of the glee club."

"What the hell!" Mitchell kicked the chair over, stomping out of the office.

"Seeing is believing." Sue gestured to the display that just took place in front of their very own eyes.

**:::In The Halls:::**

"Sue!"

Will was angry, he was furious. How could she do that? Was Sue Sylvester truly that heartless? Truly that cold and dead inside? No, not dead. She was far to manipulative and conniving to be dead. Therefore, Will chased her down in the hallways, not giving one care as to the scene he was more than likely making.

"Yes, William?" she turned, like nothing had ever happened at all.

"How dare you?" Will questioned her actions, "Glee club means so much to Mitchell, and it's obvious he's been having a lot of problems lately."

"The boy is out of control, William," Sue stood firm, "It's a proven fact. Ask anyone. In fact, why don't you first ask Elmo?"

"Emma wouldn't say that Mitchell's out of control," Will knew that to be true, "Is she a little hurt by what he said to her? Yes, but she would understand the stress he's been under. Santana meant a lot to Mitchell, and losing her is devastating to him. The one thing he still had going was glee, but not anymore thanks to you."

"You should be thanking me, Will."

"Thanking you?" did his ears need to be cleaned or something, "For what!"

"A line has been drawn," she explained, "Now that Mitchell's out of the equation, none of your little misfits - not including Santana and Brittany in that label - will dare to cross it. Talking about control, you now have it over them. They won't get out of line."

Will knew damn well that Sue didn't do this to help Mitchell, nor set an example for anyone. The only reason that this bitch did what she did was to sabotage New Directions. Take out one of the cards, then hopefully watch the rest collapse down to the table.

"This isn't going to stand, Sue," Will maintained a defiance, "I won't let it!"

**:::Guidance Counselors Office:::**

"Oh, that's awful."

Will had just finished explaining the situation to Emma. She couldn't believe it, and felt very bad. Hopefully, what happened in her office wasn't a contributing factor. Yes, it hurt a little to hear what Mitchell said, but she understood the pressure he had been under lately. It wasn't okay, but she was willing to forgive and forget, given the circumstances.

"I don't know what to do," Will took a seat, shaking his head, "He was so upset when he left Figgins' office. I know for a fact he's not taking it well."

"Where is he now?"

"Figgins let him go home with his parents," Will sighed, "You know, I get that Sue hates glee club. I've almost accepted her trying to ruin us. But, to single out Mitchell? To do this now?"

"He really liked glee," Emma said, "At first, he didn't seem sure. But, lately, when we talked, he was always going on about the latest assignment or how he liked a particular performance. Not all that crazy about Jack, though."

"I don't know what to tell the kids," Will sighed once more, "I think they'll be okay, but Mitchell's become an important part of the group. That thing he did a few weeks ago really inspired... Wait a minute..."

"What?"

"I know what this is about, I know why Sue did this..."

**"Q, take off those sunglasses," Sue stated, "I wanna look in your eyes while I give you this piece of business."**

**Quinn complied, the fear evident on her face.**

**"You're off the Cheerios," the bombshell, shrapnel everywhere, take cover, "I refuse to have a pregnant girl on my squad. You're a disgrace." and she walked away.**

**"You can't do that!" Mitchell boldly confronted the coach, "She's the best thing about that squad!"**

**Sue turned on her heels, glaring right through Mitchell, burning a hole down to his very soul, "What's that, Stinky? Grow a little self confidence, did ya? Good, it'll make it easier for you to accept this news hot off the press; All the little interruptions you've caused since coming here, not mentioning the attempted slushee attacks... Have not gone unheard. Expect a meeting between your parents and Principal Figgins in the very near future!"**

"He stood up to her," Will concluded, "Because of Quinn, Mitchell stood up to Sue and her ego couldn't take it."

"I think her mission to dismantle glee club has a lot to do with it, too."

"Of course," Will agreed, "Either way, she's gone way too far this time."

"How do you think the kids will react?"

Will stood up, getting ready to leave, "Like I said, I think they'll be okay. Some will be affected more than others. I'm gonna go try to catch them all now, tell 'em after school."

**:::Glee club:::**

New Directions had all gathered in the choir room. Well, minus Matt, Jack and Mitchell. Kurt was the first to notice the absence of Mitchell, followed by Rachel.

"He quit, didn't he?" Rachel jumped to a conclusion.

"I'm going back to pairing with Brittany!" Santana quickly announced with a pleased smile.

"What if he didn't?" Puck wondered, "Maybe this meeting's optional. Why didn't anyone tell me this meeting was optional?"

"Because it's not," Will walked in, head hanging a little low, "Guys, the reason I called you all here is to tell you that Mitchell is no longer with us."

"Oh no, he died!" Brittany frowned, resting her head against Santana's shoulder.

"No," Will put that to rest real fast, "Today, Mitchell's parents were called here. We had a meeting in the Principal's office, and long story short... Mitchell's glee club days are over."

They all started voicing their concerns on the matter.

"Now, before we jump to any conclusions - Rachel I'm looking at you - I want you all to know that this isn't a product of Mitchell quitting."

"Then, why?" Finn was confused, "You didn't fire him, did you?"

"No, of course not."

"Then what happened?" Kurt wanted answers, "Because, I, for one, shudder to think what's going to happen to him without glee club."

"He needs this club," Quinn agreed one-hundred percent.

"It's because his parents pulled him out."

"His parents love him being in glee," Santana smelled a rat, "That doesn't make sense."

Will took a breath, "Well, that all changed after Sue Sylvester worked her magic."

"She convinced them that glee club is responsible for his problems." Quinn concluded.

"But, it's Santana's fault!" Artie blurted out.

Santana shot an aggravated glance his way.

"What if Santana just convinces them it's not the glee club?" Puck had an idea.

"That won't work," Mercedes saw a flaw in the design, "Santana's part of the club. It'll only make us all look worse in their eyes. Besides, Santana isn't the only problem Mitchell's had."

"He did quit the club twice before their relationship even started," Rachel said with a frown, "There has to be something we can do, though."

"Right now, there isn't anything," Will had his arms crossed, "I tried changing his parents' minds, but they really weren't having any of it. Sue struck a chord with them."

"How does he feel about this?" Quinn asked, "Did you get a chance to talk to him, Mr. Schuester?"

Will shook his head, "Last I saw of him, he was bolting out of the principal's office. And... He was pretty upset."

This sat well with no one, even the kids who weren't all that close to him. It just didn't feel right at all, kinda like when the club was split into two before. For better or worse, Mitchell was one of them. And to have him quit would be one thing, but to have him ripped away from them when they knew well that he loved being a part of the team, was an entirely different matter altogether.

"What do we do now?" Tina spoke.

"What else can we do other than move on?" Rachel responded, everyone annoyed, "Okay, I know that sounds a little harsh. But, you all know it's the truth. There's more to us than just Mitchell. You guys moved on without me, and you persevered. It's the same thing now. I hate it just as much as you all do, but for right now... Mitchell's in the past and we have sectionals to think about."

"Rachel's right," Will stepped forward, "I hate it too, but she is. Sectionals is right around the corner and we still need to rehearse more. Give yourself today and tonight to sort this out. But, tomorrow's a new day."

"I knew you'd agree with me." Rachel smiled.

**:::The Hospital:::**

The following day had come and gone, Mitchell not returning to school, but going back to work. Mr. Sanders said that the woman Mitchell yelled at would be coming back later in the week expecting a heartfelt apology. Speaking of saying sorry, Mitchell also had to apologize to Ms. Pillsbury. More likely than not, that would be tomorrow. He was lucky enough to talk his parents into letting him stay home one day. A second was strictly out of the question.

Mitchell was sitting at the bus-stop when he spotted Quinn approaching from the corner of his eye. He raised a brow curiously at her, "You have a lot of doctor's appointments. Like... _a lot_."

"Just a little plot device for the writer to be able to have us talking alone more."

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Mitchell shook his head free, "So, did Mr. Schuester tell you guys?"

"Yeah," Quinn took a seat next to him, "Everyone's pretty bummed out."

"Not Jack, I bet."

"Jack too," surprising, to say the least, "You were his second easiest target."

"Brittany."

"Yep."

"I bet when Mr. Schuester started saying I was gone... She thought I was abducted by aliens."

"Dead, actually."

Mitchell sighed, sitting forward, hands going over his head, messing up his already shaggy hair, "I'm sorry I let you guys down."

"This isn't your fault, Mitchell."

"No, I should have acted better," he took a deep breath, "I always get wrapped up in things so easily. Get carried away. Not to mention I act like a twelve year old. Well... Five year old, probably."

"Trust me, this isn't your fault," she tried assuring him, "You've had it rough. And yes, there are times when you could've handled things better, but you don't deserve this. We don't deserve this. It's all just classic Sue Sylvester having a grudge against glee club."

"My classes are different," Mitchell confessed, "Part of the reason why I didn't go today."

"What do you mean?"

"Sue convinced my parents to take me out of every class that had another member of New Directions in it."

"What!"

**:::Glee Club:::**

"It's pure insanity!"

"She can't do that, can she?"

"She can't, but she convinced his parents to."

"Devious, dubious, genius."

"Jack!"

"Okay, okay."

"Have you guys seen him today?"

"Yeah, lost puppy dog comes to mind."

"All right, guys, how are the ballads coming along?" Mr. Schuester walked into the choir room.

"Not so good, Mr. Schue." Artie spoke on their behalf.

"Everyone's distracted," Finn explained from his seat, "When we're not thinking about Mitchell, we're trying to deal with our own problems."

"Yeah," Puck followed, "Hell of a time to start working on ballads."

"I can't help with the personal problems, but I can help you all find a little closure on the Mitchell subject. Guys, I talked to Principal Figgins and Mitchell's parents. They're standing by their decision, and as long as they do... We can't have Mitchell as a part of New Directions."

"With all due respect, Mr. Schue, if you're trying to make us feel better... Ehh... Not so much." Kurt's opinion shared by the rest of New Directions.

"Without further adieu," Will stepped aside, arm stretched toward the door, "Someone wants to say goodbye."

Mitchell entered the music room, setting down his backpack, his hair messy as usual, and his brown eyes trying not to shed a tear or two. No one was quite sure what to say, the same going for Mitchell. They would all be seeing each other in the halls just about every day, sitting with each other in the cafeteria during lunch, but that just wasn't the same as being together in glee club.

Finn took it upon himself to get up from his seat and extend a hand toward Mitchell, "It sucks what happened to you, dude. We still got your back, though."

Mitchell shook Finn's hand. Quinn was next...

"Don't forget what Finn said," she made sure it stuck in his head, "We still have your back."

Kurt's turn, "Even if you're not one of us, you're still one of us."

Artie rolled up, clapping hands with him, "These colors don't run, brotha'."

Mitchell chuckled. Mercedes and Tina came up together...

"We're gonna miss you, Mitchell."

Matt and Mike next...

"See you around, man."

Puckerman's turn at bat...

"Hey, at least you got to fool around with Santana for awhile. So, it's not a complete waste."

That was one way of putting it. Brittany's turn...

"Your name is a tongue-twister. Mitchell Marcus Mason, Mitchell Marcus Mason, Mitchell Mrr- ahh, I always get stuck there."

Oookay. How about Rachel and Jack?

"We have to move on," Rachel said, lip quivering slightly, "We can't be sad about you being gone. It's horrible, but we have to keep going forward. We can't stop now."

"The show must go on." Jack summed it up.

"Besides, I'll make sure to say hi to you every day, so you don't miss me too much." Rachel smiled warmly.

Not your basic run of the mill goodbye, but Rachel ended it with a hug and Jack with a nod of his head, which Mitchell saw as being enough.

Only one more to go...

"This is stupid," Santana with her arms and legs crossed, "Why are we even saying goodbye? It's not like he's going to a different school or something."

Mitchell wasn't expecting anything big from her, so it didn't hurt. It bothered him a little, but not bad. He turned around to say goodbye to Mr. Schuester, but found him looking at Santana. In fact, everyone was.

Santana grumbled under her breath and stood up from her seat, "I'm not saying goodbye," she approached him and pressed a quick kiss against his cheek, "All right? Is that enough?"

Mitchell smiled, and Santana couldn't help but let one slip. Though, it was very quick and if you blinked at that moment, you would have probably missed it completely.

"Mitchell," Mr. Schuester, "I'm just letting you know, I tried to fight this. Sue did a number on your mom and dad, though."

Mitchell turned to his fellow glee club members, gesturing with his head for Mr. Schue to join them, "I wanted to sing a song to you guys. But, I couldn't... Think of one good enough. So, I just wanted to say thanks for letting me be a part of this, even though I didn't always deserve to be. You guys are my friends, the best ones I've had. I know we're going to still see each other, but it won't be the same."

He continued, "I'm gonna buy a ticket to sectionals. I wanna see you guys kick ass. I know you'll win. It seems like... No matter what happens, we always get past the bad things. You're gonna win and I'm going to be there to watch you."

With that, Mitchell smiled briefly and walked out. A tearful scene, to say the least.

Except for one thing...

"Shit!" Mitchell lightly stepped back into the room, "I forgot my backpack! So much for a grand exit."

"CLASSIC MITCHELL!" Kurt yelled humorously and everyone laughed as they joined together in the middle of the room in a big hug.

**:::Art Class:::**

Crap, crap, crap! Mitchell walked about as fast as he possibly could to get to his next class. Actually, his new class, which would be taking the place left open by glee club. As he slipped into the room, he could feel the eyes upon him as he quickly scanned for an open seat.

"Ah, Mitchell Mason, so good of you to finally join us," the teacher, Mr. Grunch, said as Mitchell became painfully aware that class started five minutes ago, "It would seem as though your legend is correct.

Fantastic! Wait... Mr. Grunch?

Mitchell found an open seat at the back of the room. He didn't pay any attention to the students around him until sitting down, as he was focused solely on the task at hand. He sat down and looked at the clear panel in front of him, waiting eagerly to be filled with whatever lingered in his imagination.

"_The_ Mitchell Marcus Mason?" he heard a feminine voice whisper.

He turned to his left, finding an attractive girl that had long blonde hair with two thick pink streaks, pretty eyes, a small stature and wearing very baggy clothing. He reminded him of a half skater... half model. He happened to glance up at what she was working on and found that her name was...

"Michelle?"

What The Hell?

_**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_Bonus points to whoever can figure out who this Art Class character ended up being based on. Should be pretty obvious. One thing, though, I wrote it like Mitchell recognizes her, like maybe they knew each other before, but I want to say that isn't the case. He just found it strange that he's sitting next to someone who practically has the same name as him._

_There you go. I know it's not good. But, it is what it is and it's all that came out. Sometimes, you just gotta freestyle and run on instinct. I'm not actually sure if that's true. Anyway, Mitchell is out of the club, but this obviously isn't permanent. I'm just now envisioning a kind of arc for this and the next two chapters. Leading up to the all important Sectionals chapter which I'm personally seeing as make or break for me. Like I said, writing this chapter broke script for me so I'm gonna have to do some tweaking and tinkering now._


	12. Hairography

There's nods and references to the actual episode. But, this entire chapter is 99 percent original content. I hope it's not too jarring or full of suck. It's a little on the short side, too.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 12- "Hairography"**

It was shocking just how different he felt. Such a difference. Whether it was a better change or not remained to be seen, but Mitchell wasn't expecting positive results. He was simply just noting to himself that it was almost as if he were transformed into an entirely different person. Walking down the halls of McKinley, none of the jocks or other bullies bothered with him anymore. Not because he was popular or well-liked, either. It was just like he was literally invisible.

Which, to be honest, wasn't as bad a feeling as most people made it out to be.

**Kurt, Mitchell and Rachel walked down the halls of McKinley when suddenly they were the victims of a slushee facial. Well, Kurt and Rachel were. Oddly fascinating, considering Mitchell was in-between them and didn't get so much as one tiny little piece of flavored ice on himself at all.**

Yeah, invisible wasn't so bad.

Another thing that he noticed is that he wasn't so consumed by his feelings for Santana and Quinn. Well, to be fair, the Santana feelings were destroyed before the invisibility, though. He did think of Quinn and the crush was still very much burning inside of his heart. But, it just wasn't as distracting as it was before. On a side note, he did feel really bad about her parents kicking her out. At least Finn's mom was cool enough to let her stay with them.

No matter what they did, how could you basically evict your own flesh and blood?

One last interesting piece of information regarding the changes made. This girl he was sitting next to in Art Class. This... _Michelle_. She was attractive, but she wasn't a girly-girl. She was kinda like one of the guys. Which, okay, did that make him a little gay that he liked that about her? Yes? No? Maybe kinda sorta, but not really?

Mitchell stopped at Ms. Pillsbury's office door. After apologizing the day he returned, he then promised her he would check in every few days. She claimed to be worried about him. He still felt guilty for yelling at her.

"Hello, Mitchell," she greeted kindly as he entered the room and took a seat, "I'm glad you decided to stop in."

He nodded.

"So, how have things been?"

"It's wierd," he began, "It feels... It feels like I'm invisible."

She immediately took that as a complaint or hint of sadness. She couldn't have been more wrong.

"No," he assured her, "I'm fine with it, actually. It feels... good. Is it normal for that to feel good?"

"You've been through a lot of stressful situations lately," she answered through analysis, "Normally, I would say that even though it feels good, it really isn't. But, given your circumstances, I think this could be a good thing. It can give you a break."

"Yeah."

"How about Art Class?"

Images of Michelle flashed in his mind briefly, "Good."

"That's good," Emma nodded, "Umm... Have you made anything interesting?"

He shook his head, "No, not really. I'm not... I don't really have the patience. I just kind of scribble. I didn't expect there to be so much drawing."

"Mr. Grunch loves drawings," Ms. Pillsbury explained, "Funny you should mention that, because he's been in a little hot water for not offering more diversity in his assignments."

"I wish I could do like... a drawing of Qu... uhh... the glee club. The entire glee club. Everybody."

"How have you been doing with that?"

"I suck at drawing, so not too good."

"Oh," Emma chuckled, "I actually meant... How have you been doing with being away from glee club?"

Mitchell shrugged, "It's... I'm good."

"Mitchell, there's no need to hide here," Emma wanted him to let it go, "Glee club meant a lot to you. You made friends, it was a lot of fun. It has to affect you in some way."

It did affect him. He just didn't feel like getting into a big thing about it. Talking about what made him sad would only make him feel more so. And right now, he didn't want that. He wanted to stay invisible, he wanted to be able to move on like the rest of New Directions. Ugh, why was he thinking like that? You couldn't say rest of, when you weren't part of it any longer.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Rachel wasn't comfortable. She hadn't been ever since Mitchell was booted out of New Directions because of Sue's actions. But, it wasn't because she was personally distracted. No. It was due to the fact of how distracted everyone else seemed to be. There was just something in the air and it would drag them all down if they didn't get their acts together.

"Everyone sit down," Rachel had gathered them all together for an emergency meeting, "We need to talk."

Puck scoffed, taking a seat, "We need to make a rule that only Mr. Schuester can call meetings."

"Noah, I'm serious," evidenced by Rachel's decision to use his first name, "This is important."

"If this is heading in the direction I'm assuming it is, then I agree with the importance." Jack supported Rachel, as always.

Which annoyed Finn, "Is it really neccesarry to follow her like a puppy dog?"

"Excusme?" Jack questioned.

"It's really annoying," Finn spoke up, "Every damn thing she says, you're right there agreeing with her."

"_Mitchell_," Quinn managed to get everyone focused on the matter at hand, "Let's focus on him. We're not the same without him."

"You weren't the same without me and you moved along just fine." a fact that hurt Rachel's feelings now more than ever.

"That wasn't the same," Quinn saw it differently than the diva, "To be honest, if Mitchell was gone and you weren't, we would have gotten along just fine."

"So," Rachel took a chance, "If I was to walk out that door right now, you would all be heartbroken to see me leave?"

"_I would_." Jack and Finn accidentally spoke in unison, warranting a glare to each other from one another.

"I'm not sure." Kurt made it seem as if he was deep in thought.

"It would be quieter." Brittany's contribution.

"A lot quieter, actually," Santana liked the thought, "Damn, why couldn't Coach Sylvester talk to your dads instead?"

Puck scoffed, head going back, eyes to the ceiling for a moment, "This officially sucks!"

"Someone's in a bad mood." Artie mumbled.

"Who?" Brittany was confused.

"This is just so stupid," Puck stood up, "Mitchell's gone. Okay? Let's move on. There's no point in stressing about things we can't change."

"You're just pissed because you don't wanna be here." Finn pointed out.

"Damn right, I don't." Puck confirmed it.

"Look at us," Mercedes jumped in, "All we're doing is either going in circles or getting distracted. I have to agree with what Puck said, even though he didn't actually mean it. Mitchell's gone, guys. Like Rachel said before, we have to move on."

Quinn sighed, crossing her arms and sitting back in the chair.

**:::In The Halls:::**

Mitchell and Karofsky crossed paths while _MMM_was on his way to Art. Dude didn't even see him. It was like he was the Invisible Girl. Ya know... without being a chick. Agh, that was stupid. Why was he always thinking of stupid things? Nonetheless, Mitchell entered the class room on-time and took his seat just before Mr. Grunch entered as well.

"How goes it?" Michelle asked.

Mitchell shrugged, setting his backpack down.

"EXPRESSION," Mr. Grunch slammed the door behind him, getting everyone's attention, "Specifically, artistic expression. Who can tell me what expression means? Yes, you in the back."

"When you go really fast? Like, one of those 12 items or less check-out lines at the store."

Wow, that was really dumb. To be honest, though, Mitchell was half surprised he wasn't the one responsible for that answer.

Another student was called on, and this one then began smiling, frowning, moving their eyebrows around and then looking confused.

"Okay," Mr. Grunch was annoyed, aggravated, impatient, "Mitchell Mason, save us here."

"Expression is like... showing on the outside what you have on the inside." hopefully that was a good enough answer.

"Good enough."

Ah, sweet!

"_Artistic Expression_," Mr. Grunch wrote it on the chalkboard, "As I see it; A means in which to show the world the real you through art. Whether that be through pictures, photographs, Popsicle sticks glued together, it doesn't really matter. Just as long as your emotions, feelings, and what lies inside your heart is put on display."

"Examples;" he continued, "A little child paints scary pictures of nightmares. Someone has a secret, so they make something that is skeletons trying to escape a closet. Someone is afraid to die, so they create something that represents eternal life. Perhaps, a loved one dies, so you take a photograph of yourself next to an empty chair or..."

"I did something like this in Glee," Mitchell spoke up, instantly wishing he hadn't, but finding relief when the teacher gestured for him to explain, "Last month, we were all pretty uptight about popularity. So, I did this thing where I took, like, a lot of different photographs and things... And made this, like, shrine thing."

"Why? Mr. Grunch was impressed, but he wanted to dig a little deeper into Mitchell's emotion behind the piece.

"Kind of... For solidarity, I guess," Mitchell answered, "To make everyone see that we were something special, and all that mattered was staying true to ourselves. The kind of people we really were, even if our actions didn't always reflect that."

Damn it, why couldn't he have come up with that magic when he presented the thing originally?

Mr. Grunch liked that, "See, people? That is artistic expression. That is the very definition of reaching inside of oneself and pulling something personal out to put on display. Mitchell, thank you for the enlightenment."

"You really did that?" Michelle asked as the teacher kept going on and on about artistic expression.

"Yeah."

"Musta been cool," she said, "So, what's it like being in Glee?"

Mitchell sighed before responding, "It _used _to be great."

Michelle took the cue. Man, always opening her big mouth. It was one extreme to the next for her. It always seemed like she either wasn't thinking at all, or she was so deep in thought that she was drowning in her own damn mind. If that made any sense. Probably didn't, actually. Why did she always have to analyze things? Why was she always...

"You okay?" Mitchell's query took her away from her thoughts.

"Did you say something?"

"Nah," he assured her, "You just seemed... _off_."

Oh sweet Jesus, did he look like that when he was drowning in his own thoughts? Hopefully, he didn't. The blank face, the bottom lip just kinda hanging there, the far-off look to the eyes? That wasn't him, right? He didn't look like that big of an idiot did he? Not that he thought Michelle was an idiot. Just... Well... He really hoped he didn't look like that when he...

"Dude," Michelle's voice, "Where are you right now?"

"The Twilight Zone." he spoke in a very hushed and fearful tone of voice.

"So," Mr. Grunch clapped his hands together, "That's your assignment for the week. Any questions?"

Mitchell and Michelle each glanced to the other one with a look of worry before raising their hands and speaking out at the exact same nano-second...

"What was the assignment again?"

**:::The Hospital:::**

Quinn had finished up with her doctor's appointment a little sooner than she anticipated. This gave her a bit of unexpected free time, as well as a nifty little idea. At least, she hoped it was nifty. It could have prove to be disastrous, but negative thinking never got anyone anywhere. Okay, maybe it did some times. But, ugh, you get the picture.

_"I know this might be stupid, but I have to try something. Maybe I don't so much have to as I want to. Glee is different without Mitchell. Too different, in my opinion. I miss having him around. I'm not sure why exactly, but I do. I went to visit him at the Shop, but his boss said that he had the week off. Then I remembered that his father worked here."_

_"It was a long-shot, but one that I felt I needed to take. So, after my appointment, I decided to pay him a visit."_

Quinn found the door that had a gold-plated plaque in the centre that read Norwell Mason, M.D.. She cocked a curious brow at his first name, before taking one last breath to gain a little courage and opened the door, letting it shut quietly behind her. The waiting room portion of Dr. Mason's office was small. Maybe, cozy was a better term to label it as.

Quinn stepped softly to the sliding glass window, seeing a silhoutte on the other side. She waited a moment or two before it was opened.

"How may I help you, dear?" the receptionist smiled cheerfully, but not in a sickening way.

"Umm," she suddenly found herself feeling shy, "I don't have an appointment, but I'm a friend of Dr. Mason's son from McKinley High School, and I was wondering if there's any chance that I could speak with him?"

"I'll have to ask him."

"It won't be long."

"Time isn't an issue," the receptionist explained, "He doesn't have anymore patients today. He's just going through paperwork in his office."

The sliding window slid shut. Quinn took a seat and waited. A couple minutes later, she got her answer when the door opened and she was lead into an exam room. She felt a little awkward, but realized it wouldn't be proper to talk in his personal office. Only a few seconds after that, Mitchell's dad walked in, shutting door behind him.

Quinn could see a resemblance, though the older man lacked the boyish charm that seemed to radiate from Mitchell.

"Hi, Dr. Mason, my name is Quinn Fabray, I'm friends with your son."

"So I hear," he wasn't in the greatest of moods, "This can't be long, I have work to finish up before I get home."

"Thank you for talking to me," Quinn was grateful, "I won't keep you, I just wanted to tell you something."

"Okay." he was listening.

"You were manipulated into having Mitchell leave glee club," she could sense his irritation, "I know that sounds crazy, but it really is the truth. Sue Sylvester is vindictive and manipulative and she'll do whatever she can to sabotage the club because she hates Mr. Schuester. It's a proven fact."

"I realize you want your friend back in the club," Dr. Mason did sympathize, "But, Mitchell's mother and I can't let him slip. And the proof is there. He never got into this sort of trouble - if any at all - at his old school. He always had good grades and we never received one single phone call."

"I understand, but with all due respect, it isn't glee club's fault. And, I don't believe that anything he did was all that terrible, either."

"I'm happy that Mitchell has a friend willing to do this for him, it's admirable. But, Mitchell's been having these problems that are all rooted in glee club. The so-called Slushee incidents, the trouble with Santana. I find it surprising that glee had such a negative effect on him."

This wasn't going as well as Quinn would have hoped, "Mr. Mason, please re-consider your decision."

"You really came all the way here just for him?" was this the good doctor starting to soften?

"Yes," Quinn nodded then accidentally dove into details, "I-I was actually already... Uhh... I... Well, I had an appointment today."

"Oh. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm just... kind of... pregnant."

Both brows raised, "A pregnant girl in the glee club?"

Didn't look great, did it? Well, judging on your views of teen pregnancy, Quinn supposed.

"I know how it looks," she said, "But, I'm taking responsibility for my actions. And, to be honest, Mitchell has helped me a lot."

"He has?"

Quinn nodded, "I see him often here."

"Sue mentioned how it would be wise to keep Mitchell away from the glee club," he said aloud, though it was mostly to himself, "In and out of school."

A quick and sharp jab inside of Quinn, "No, listen, Sue is lying to you. Mitchell's just having trouble fitting in and he's been..."

"I have to be going," he opened the door, "I'm sorry... Oh, I didn't catch your name."

"Quinn Fabray."

"Quinn," he spoke, "I'm sorry, but for now... Mitchell won't be a part of the glee club. His education and well-being in school come first. And, with all due respect, I think it would be for the best if the two of you didn't see each other here."

Oh no, this had gone horribly wrong.

**:::In The Halls:::**

The next day had come. And it was obvious by how he walked that something was bothering Mitchell. Something that was in need of a little sorting out. He quickly found Quinn in the halls and approached her, the look on his face telling the tale...

"What did you say to him?" he asked, frustrated, "He specifically told me not to talk to Quinn Fabray anymore."

"I was trying to help," she defended herself, "I didn't realize how tight he's wrapped around Sue's fingers."

"You know the type of parents that only listen to other adults?" he asked, she nodded, "Yeah, that's how my parents are. They're cool, they treat me good, but kids are just kids in their eyes, nothing more. To them, I don't know what's best for myself. And, I realize, that yeah, I probably don't know what's best for myself. But... uhhh... crap, I lost my train of thought."

"So, is this goodbye for now?" Quinn wondered.

"No," he shook his head, "Nobody's going to tell me to stay away from you. I mean... Ugh... That sounded like I'm a stalker. You know what I mean, right?"

She smiled partly, "Yes. But, if I were you, I wouldn't run the risk of making this any worse."

"Huh?"

"Don't talk to any of us for a while," she explained, seeing the hurt on Mitchell's face, "Sue has eyes and ears all over this school. And, she doesn't need any more fuel. I'll try and think of something. We all will. And once we do, we'll use it to help you back into glee."

Mitchell sighed.

"You do want to come back, right?"

"Of course."

"Okay," it was agreed upon, "Then, let us handle it."

**:::Art Class:::**

Mr. Grunch wasn't happy with Mitchell. Sadly, the student couldn't blame him. After everything he said the day before, Mr. Grunch was expecting big things from Mitchell. However, there was zero progress for Mitchell's first official art assignment for the class. It was this that lead the teacher to keeping Mitchell after class had ended.

"Where is it, Mr. Mason?" he asked, sitting at his desk.

"I was thinking I had until the end of the week."

"You do," Mr. Grunch agreed, "But, you had such enthusiasm yesterday. It was flowing from you like energy, I saw passion. I saw someone lighting up before me. You know, I spoke to Schuester yesterday and he told me about that piece of art that you described. He had nothing but good things to say."

"I don't know... What to make." Mitchell explained honestly.

The assignment was to create something... anything... that honestly expressed what was inside. Mr. Grunch had asked the question; What is inside of you? And the answer would be a physical representation of that. A passion, a love, a fear, anything that you felt strongly about.

"What do you feel passionate about?"

Quinn Fabray.

"What do you love?"

Quinn Fabray.

"What do you fear?"

Quinn Fabray.

"What do you feel strongly about?"

Quinn Fabray.

"Mitchell?"

The boy was lost to his thoughts.

"I struck a nerve, did I?" Mr. Grunch pointed, "Whatever it is you are now thinking about, that is what I want you to use as inspiration for the assignment."

Quinn filling his mind to the brink, Mitchell looked to Mr. Grunch before leaving the room.

To his surprise, waiting outside of the room was Michelle, hood up for some reason, "Grunch is a big take the bull by the horns kind of dude," Michelle explained as they walked, Mitchell seeming distracted, "Nothing personal, he just hates it when we don't start on our assignments right away. Little known fact, the only possible way to score an A from him is to hand in your work a day early."

"Good to know," Mitchell made a mental note, "So, what's yours gonna be?"

Michelle shrugged, "Something stupid."

"Why do you say that?"

She shrugged again, this time changing the subject, "Hey, do you have A.D.D.?"

"Huh?" where the hell did that come from?

"Oh, sorry," she cringed briefly, "Just... I have it and I pride myself on telling if other people do. And... you're like a prime candidate."

"No," he shook his head, "I just... ya know... Think too much. I have a tendency to live inside my head."

She listened.

"It's kinda a bad habit, actually."

They rounded a corner, "I do that too. A lot. Hence, embarrassing myself by asking if you have..."

"No worries," he smiled briefly, "You're not the first person to ask me, anyway."

Mitchell spotted Rachel and Jack walking together. Instinct told him to say hi, but better judgement said no when he remembered what Quinn had told him. As luck would have it, he and Rachel made eye contact, prompting a sad frown from the tiny little diva. Jack just gave a fleeting glance. Mitchell sighed, trying to block out how much he missed being in New Directions.

"You miss it." Michelle commented when Jack and Rachel were out of sight.

Mitchell simply nodded sadly.

**:::That Night:::**

Mitchell sat on the floor in his bedroom, a large drawing pad in front of him. He was going to take Mr. Grunch's advice to an extent. He didn't feel comfortable singling out Quinn in his artwork, so he was going to attempt to draw everyone else. The piece wasn't going to be portrait material, though. He wanted to make them all look like they were in a comic book.

But, as he put pencil to paper, he found himself unable to do it. It was like writer's block or something, Or, at the very least, a form of it. Maybe not, actually. What was holding him back? What was wrong with him? Why did everything always have to feel so difficult? It wasn't just being a teenager, right? He hated to even think he was just being a whiny teenager.

This sucked.

His career in Glee was over. Trying to put it into his art assignment was only pouring salt in the wounds that were still pretty fresh. He didn't want to draw New Directions. He was frustrated, angry, impatient. But, he didn't want to make something emo or moody. What could he do? What was inside of him? What was something that he could be honest about and put on display for everyone to see?

What didn't have anything to do with Glee?

How about Sue Sylvester in a Hitler costume?

No, too controversial.

Damn, he had to stop thinking. Had to let the inspiration flow. Not second-guessing the decision, Mitchell touched the led to the paper and drew the very next thing that came to mind.

**:::McKinley High School:::**

A day early, the time had come to hand in all their assignments. Mr. Grunch was pleased to find that every student in this particular bunch had theirs ready and waiting to be graded. A little surprising, though not very much, the teacher had decided to have them show theirs to the entire class. Well, as many as time would allow.

It was Michelle's turn.

Slowly but surely, she shyly made her way to the head of the class in front of Grunch's desk. When ready, she showed everyone what she had been working on. It was an incredible drawing of Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the Assassin's Creed series of video games. This version in particular was what he looked like in the Brotherhood game.

The other students, including Mitchell, were a little surprised and saw it as a joke. Mr. Grunch didn't seem to know who it was supposed to be, so he quieted the class and gave Michelle the opportunity to explain the significance of it...

"Ezio Auditore da Firenze!" she spoke the name in a decent Italian accent, "One of - If not the single greatest Assassins there has ever been. Be warned; If you should find yourselves being hunted by Ezio, you will never see him coming, never hear him coming. You..."

"Mr. Grunch?" a random student interrupted, "She drew a picture of a video game character."

"Ms. Watson?" Mr. Grunch asked, "The assignment wasn't to draw your favorite video game."

"I love Ezio!" she blurted, "He's the perfect man."

And here Mitchell was thinking he was weird for always having an attraction to Harley Quinn.

"Next!" Mr. Grunch wanted things to move along, "Mr. Mason? What do you have your us."

"I just drew something," Mitchell made the walk, passing Michelle along the way, "That's okay, right?"

"Expression is expression."

Mitchell took a deep breath then showed everyone what he had done. It was a picture of him walking with his head down and hands in his pockets away from a door labeled New Directions. Through the window, you could see a certain blonde former head cheerleader if you looked closely enough.

"Walking away from New Directions sucks," he explained, "It actually really hurts. I miss my friends, I miss singing. I miss everything about it. And, ever since I've been away, I've felt like something's missing, like it was stolen from me."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "I wish there was some way that I could go back."

**:::Glee Club:::**

New Directions had just finished singing with Haverbrook Deaf Choir. What an experience, it had brought them all to tears. Well, almost all of them...

"I feel so uncomfortable." Jack mentioned.

Will was smiling, "I am so proud of you guys. Not only was it a nice gesture, but it was just really great. Not to mention, you all did a good job."

Everyone started gathering their things, ready to call it a day, when Rachel and Jack walked to the head of the room. Well, Jack was kind of being pulled along by Rachel. But, still...

"I have something that I'd like to share with all of you." Rachel announced with a bright smile.

"Herpes?" Santana's cue.

"No," Rachel shook her head, "Not herpes."

"Why would you even answer that?" Puck cringed.

"You two are dating?" Kurt wondered about Rachel and Jack.

"Wait, yeah," it made sense to Quinn, "You two have been inseparable for a long time now."

"Basically ever since they met." Kurt followed.

Finn waited to hear a response.

"Their name could be Rack." Brittany snickered.

"Get control of 'em." Jack whispered.

"It's about Mitchell," Rachel spoke up, "I had an idea, and I've asked Jack to help me. But..."

"Well, naturally you'd ask him first," Artie, "Considering the two of you are dating."

Jack was amused by everyone jumping to conclusions, but Rachel wasn't, "We're not dating!"

Finn smiled inside. Jack actually felt a sharp little pain in his chest. Fleeting and faint, but still there.

"I know how we can convince Mitchell's parents to let him back into glee club." Rachel explained.

"I thought you were all for moving on without him?" Quinn was a little confused.

"I saw him in the hall a couple days ago," she recalled the recent memory, "He looked... lost. I remember how lost I felt and how I was hoping every night that one of you would save me. I want to do that for Mitchell."

"That's a great idea, Rachel," Will stepped in, "But, his parents are pretty set in their decision."

"Yeah, how are we supposed to change their minds?" Finn wondered.

"The only way that we know how." Rachel said with a smile.

_**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_And Hairography is done! I know it's not the most exciting chapter, but hopefully enjoyable. The main idea is just how much Mitchell misses being in New Directions, and how they don't feel the same without him. The next chapter is a lot of fun and Sectionals chapter is HUGE.__A lot of earth-shattering type business goes down in chapter 14._


	13. Mattress

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 13- "Mattress"**

New mattress day.

Yeah...

Seriously.

Being a doctor, Norwell Mason saw the importance of a good night's sleep. For all three aspects of a human being; Mind, body and soul. That said, every few years, he made it top priority to make sure that his family had brand new mattresses to sleep on. And, on this Saturday morning, is when it was ready to go down.

Before they could go to the local store and make a purchase, they needed to get rid of the old ones. Mr. Mason had talked with a colleague at the hospital who had a brother who worked in the business of getting rid of other people's junk. He was currently outside in his truck, just sitting in the seat, not doing anything. Coming as a bit of a surprise, he had no intention of getting the junk himself.

The task was left up to Son and Pa Mason.

"Lift with your legs, not your back." Mr. Mason reminded his boy.

"I know!" Mitchell responded, annoyed, trying to carry this mattress down the stairs with his father. Why they didn't just slide it down was beyond him.

"I have a bad feeling," Mrs. Mason said from the bottom of the staircase, "One of you are going to slip, I just know it."

"We will be fine, Annie," Mr. Mason assured his wife through gritted teeth and a strain on his back, "It's not heavy just awkward."

Mitchell laughed. How many freakin' times had that been said in the history of the world? Only to be followed by...

"SON OF A BITCH!" Mr. Mason cursed as a sudden crack could be heard. Quickly he and Mitchell finished bringing the mattress downstairs, to which Mr. Mason immediately took a seat, grimacing in pain and favoring his back.

"Norwell!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he waved it off, "Just cracked it and pulled a muscle."

"Well, you're lucky you didn't break it."

"I'll finish this." Mitchell opened the front door and pulled the mattress out before barely being able to lift it into the truck's trailer. Whoo, that was actually a work-out. Now Mitchell was reminded of why he was so hateful of exercise.

Mitchell re-entered the house, finding his dad still sitting down, now sipping on an iced tea. Still grimacing, still in pain. Nothing crucial, though. Which was a blessing. The Mason household probably wouldn't do well with another catastrophe. Not that anyone would be able to do well with any kind of catastrophe. Unless maybe they were quick-thinkers. But even still, it was a stretch.

"There's still another mattress," Mitchell said to his parents, "I'll go get it."

"No," his mother didn't like that idea, "We already had one injury. We don't need another."

When did anyone ever actually need an injury?

"I got it," Mitchell went up the stairs, "I'll just slide it down."

A few seconds later, Mitchell was standing at the top of the stairs, holding onto one end of the king-sized mattress. The first one that had gone down was merely a twin-sized one. His parents begging him not to, Mitchell went ahead and let the mattress slide down the stairs.

Problem.

It didn't slide. It rolled vertically and ended up knocking down framed pictures on the wall before crashing to the floor where it took out a vase of flowers and a lamp. A window broke too, though no one was quite sure how that got included in the destruction.

Mitchell rubbed the back of his head, "I guess it was a bad idea."

His parents glared angrily.

"You never used to act like this," his mother pointed out, "You never went against anything we said."

Mitchell knew where this was going, "Don't say Glee."

"I won't," she resumed, "But, we both know that those kids were a bad influence on you. And, still are."

"No, they're not," Mitchell disagreed, picking everything up one by one, "I'm a kid, I'm gonna screw up. I'm gonna do stupid things. And nothing I did was that bad."

"That's not what Ms. Sylvester had to say." Mr. Mason reminded.

"Sue Sylvester sucks!" Mitchell spat, picking up the lamp, "She just hates Mr. Schuester. That's what this is all about. She thinks that New Directions has less of a chance to win Sectionals without me. She's hoping that they'll be so distracted that they'll lose. That's what this is about. It's not about my so-called bad behavior in school. It's about Sue Sylvester wanting more money for her Cheerios."

"Mitchell..."

"No," he interrupted his mother, "I'm sorry I did stupid things and that I didn't tell you guys about Santana and how much it bothered me. But, I just didn't. I really don't like talking about her because it hurts. I... I really liked her. More than I ever realized, actually."

He set the mattress upright and pulled it through the front door. This one was far more difficult to get into the truck, but he had managed to do so after a few minutes. He beat on the side of the trailer once to let the guy know everything was loaded and then he re-entered the house, ignoring his parents en route to his bedroom.

**:::McKinley High School:::**

Mitchell sighed sadly as he sat down at the lunch table, staring at a sandwich he had no appetite for. Nothing was the same anymore. Everything just sucked. He missed Glee, his friends, singing, the whole nine yards. He even missed Rachel's loud and obnoxious everythings. He missed Kurt getting upset if you touched his hair, Tina's fake stutter, Brittany's silly remarks. He missed seeing Quinn.

He missed Santana.

A lot.

Which made no sense to him in the world. A couple weeks ago, he was head over heels for Quinn. But now, it was different. No, not different. His crush for Quinn was still very strong. But, he kept thinking about Santana so often. Quinn was the dream girl, the fantasy, the grass being greener. Santana was the reality. And, apparently, she had a much more profound impact on his life than he previously thought or anticipated.

What kind of idiot crushes hard for two girls at once?

Mitchell's concentration was broken by a folded piece of paper smacking the table in front of him. He looked around, but didn't notice anyone in particular. Curiously, he opened the paper, finding a note.

"No worries," he read, "We have a plan. With any luck, you're going to be back with us before Sectionals."

His heart fluttered. Yeah, like butterfly wings. Of course, he'd never admit that. But, it did. They were fighting for him. Fighting a battle that he didn't have the courage to engage himself. This note gave him courage, gave him strength. If they were fighting for him, then he was going to stand up as well. He would join them in the battle.

First and foremost, he had to confront the one that initiated this whole debacle in the first place. One Sue Sylvester.

Game on!

**:::Glee Club:::**

New Directions was together in the choir room, having gathered to talk about their plan to rescue Mitchell and bring him back home.

"Did you give him the note?" Kurt asked Finn.

"Yeah," Finn nodded, "I saw him read it, too."

"All right," Jack and Rachel stepped forward, "Phase one is complete. Now we just need to figure out a song and when we're going to strike."

"His parents are home on Saturday mornings," Santana explained, showing a nicer side in helping out, "It's the only day off his dad has. Once Saturday afternoon hits, his parents are out running all the errands they can't during the week."

Puck scoffed, "Saturday morning? I'm not doing a Saturday morning. That's my time."

"Dude, we need Mitchell if we're going to win Sectionals," Finn explained, "We all practiced together. We can't afford to lose someone now. That going on without him was bullshit. We're not going on without anybody."

"I'm going to miss cartoons." Brittany pouted randomly.

"Song choice?" Jack wondered aloud.

"That's the hard part," Mercedes mentioned, "We need to pick something that's going to strike a chord with his parents. Something that puts Glee in a light that hasn't been blacked out by Sue."

"I have one in mind," Rachel smiled brightly, proud of the fact, "I think it will work wonders."

They waited.

And waited.

Uhhh...

Why the hell wasn't she saying what it was?

"Plan on letting us in on it?" Quinn asked, "It'll be kind of hard performing a song when he have no idea what it is."

"Oh," Rachel complied, "It's..."

**:::That Night:::**

Mitchell laid on his - _new_- bed, hands behind his head, eyes gazing out into the night sky through his window. What did they have in-store? What kind of plan had they cooked up? What was going to happen? Hopefully, it would result in him being reinstated into New Directions.

It had fired him up, made him feel brave. He had marched into Sue's office, only to find she had left early for some reason. Becky explained that she would let Sue know he showed up. Mitchell suddenly felt some of that strength start to dwindle. Hopefully it wouldn't too much, though.

Laying there, he started to daydream. There were these significant moments playing in his mind's eye like it were a TV show of some sort.

**Mitchell walked into McKinley High School for the very first time. And... Holy... Crap... Who... Is... Her? What... She's... Name?**

**From across the hall, there stood quite possibly the most angelic, most beautiful, single most perfect specimen of the female form to have ever graced the planet Earth with her presence... Quinn Fabray.**

_**ADPOV**_

**Mitchell left the Hospital Gift Shop feeling good about his chances of getting a job there. Once he was stepping through the automatic doors, he flipped his hood over his head and started down the walk into the parking lot. It was there that a surprise hit him in the form of Quinn Fabray. His usual lovestruck emotions were momentarily substituted by concern. Was she okay? Why was she at the hospital?**

**"Quinn?" he pulled his head back as they crossed each others paths.**

**"Mitchell." she greeted awkwardly, really surprised to see him there.**

**"Are you all right?"**

**"Yeah, of course, why?" she played it cool. There was no chance of her spilling the beans on the true reason why she was visiting the hospital.**

**He gestured to the building with a thumb, "You're going there."**

**"You just walked out of there," the cheerleader took a clever route to re-direct the focus, "I should be asking you the same question."**

**"Job," he answered the question she didn't actually ask, "Gift Shop."**

**"Well, I'm just visiting someone." a harmless lie. Nothing more than a fib.**

**They started parting ways until Mitchell turned, "Are you sure you're not here to be a patient? I mean... You seem so different for some reason. Less... No offense... Bitchy and controlling."**

**"I always have to be a bitch?" Quinn took offense.**

_**ADPOV**_

**Working at the Gift Shop, Mitchell had a moment or two to spare before he left. That's when he noticed a certain someone through the glass window. It was Quinn, and she was just entering the hospital.**

**"There **_**is**_** something wrong with you," he had quickly exited the shop to calmly confront her in the hall, "I knew it!"**

**"Not now, Mitchell." the color was off in her face.**

**"Look, I know we're not really friends, but..."**

**She interrupted, choking back a sob in the process, and turning the opposite direction, "Please, not now."**

_**ADPOV**_

**Mitchell was in the process of delivering flowers to a patient in the hospital, when he just happened to spot Quinn talking to a doctor in the hall. Her back was turned, so she didn't see him. Spying was obviously wrong, but he saw no other option at the moment. So, he ducked around a corner and listened closely.**

**"It's just... All so new. I'm scared. I'm terrified," Quinn was saying, "I don't know. I've just been really emotional lately. It feels like my mind is changing every minute."**

**"That is to be expected," the doctor assured her, "But, not to worry, so far so good. Everything is fine. I have confidence that this pregnancy will go smoothly."**

**Pregnancy? Wait... Pregnancy?**

**Hold on... PREGNANCY?**

**Was Quinn pregnant? Mitchell didn't want to jump to conclusions. But, was Quinn Fabray freakin' pregnant? But, she was in charge of the celibacy club. But...**

**"Mitchell!"**

**Mitchell froze in fear, clutching tightly those flowers in his hand, "How's it goin'?"**

**"You were spying on me! How dare you?" she scowled.**

**"You're pregnant?"**

**"Yes. But, you cannot tell a soul."**

_**ADPOV**_

**"Hey, Mitchell." Quinn greeted him at the hospital.**

**Mitchell looked over his shoulder, finding Quinn standing there, "Oh, hey."**

**"She doesn't actually like you." Quinn spoke of Santana, her voice gentle, trying to warn Mitchell rather than hurt his feelings, "I'm serious. She's just playing around with you. You're like a toy for her to mess with until she gets bored."**

**"Why do you care?"**

**"You seem like a decent guy, Mitchell," the bombshell dropped, "You should be with someone that actually likes you, too. Trust me, one-sided relationships are not worth the trouble they cause. No matter what you're getting out of it."**

_**ADPOV**_

**"Hi." Quinn said softly, her eyes puffy and red from crying, a tissue rolled in her hand.**

**Mitchell didn't know what to say.**

**"You're mad," she realized, sniffling, "Okay, I deserve that. I'll just..."**

**"It's okay."**

**"I'm losing him, Mitchell," her confession through tears, "He's slipping right through my fingers and I feel so helpless."**

**"Finn is crazy about you," he tried making her see, "Especially now. He's there for you. Dude's middle name is devotion. Finn Devotion Hudson."**

**Quinn took a deep breath to compose herself, "I wish I believed that."**

**"Quinn..."**

**"Can't you see how they look at each other? There's a connection. They make each other smile, they're so comfortable around each other. It hurts so much, Mitchell."**

**He wasn't sure if what he was going to do next was right, but she was just so heartbroken and sad. Crying and hurting like hell. Mitchell stepped up to the plate and wrapped his arms around her in a hug between friends.**

**"I know I haven't been here long, but I want you to know that I'm here if you need something. Just let me know."**

**"Thank you, Mitchell."**

_**ADPOV**_

**Sue Sylvester had just fired Quinn from the Cheerios squad. A devastating thing to do.**

**"You'll be okay," Mitchell tried helping her, unsure if she wanted any at the moment, "This is nothing, Quinn. You'll get past it."**

**She just looked at him for a couple moments, taking a step forward before turning around in retreat.**

_**ADPOV**_

**In Glee Club, Mitchell had made a decision and approached Mr. Schuester with it, "I decided to join, Mr. Schuester."**

**"First things first," Will pointed at Mitchell then to the head of the room, "Let's see whatcha got."**

**"Oh god, I change my mind." Mitchell laughed nervously before taking a seat on a stool and grabbing a guitar. After a moment or two, he began...**

**"**_**I don't know but... I think I may be fallin' for you,**_**" he sang softly but with an upbeat tempo, "**_**Dropping so quickly, maybe I should keep this to myself. Waitin' 'til I know you better**_**."**

**A little louder, "**_**I am tryin' not to tell you. But I want to. I'm scared of what you'll say, so I'm hiding what I'm feeling. But, I'm tired of holding this inside my head."**_

**Kurt and Artie joined in for the chorus, the girls clapping, "**_**I've been spendin' all my time, just thinkin' 'bout ya. I don't know what to do. I think I'm falling for you. I've been waitin' all my life and now I found ya. I don't know what to do. I think I'm falling for you.**_**"**

**Mitchell sang alone, using the bridge as a second verse, "**_**Oh, I just can't take it. My heart is racing. Emotions keep spinning out."**_

**He slowed down for the final line of his audition, **_**"I can't stop thinkin' 'bout it. I want you all around me. And now I just can't hide it. **__I think I'm falling for you..._"

Mitchell was in his bedroom, eyes closed, now seated Indian-style on the bed, guitar in his lap, strumming the final notes of the song, singing the last words. In his mind, he saw nothing but Quinn. His feelings for her were real and true, and so strong. His relationship with Santana never felt like that. There was always something wrong, something off about it. He loved Quinn Fabray.

Mitchell's father stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he listened to his son sing that song. The feeling he put into it, the emotion, it was undeniable. You didn't need to be a music lover to see it. Truth be told, Mr. Mason hadn't seen his son put that much effort into anything in quite awhile.

Something to think about.

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

The next day in school, Mitchell was ready to face the beast. He had no intention of acting stupid. Well, not intentionally, anyway. But, he was hoping he could get his point across. Hopefully without crying. He had a dream once where he ended up crying in front of the whole school because of Sue Sylvester. A nightmare, is what it was actually.

Mitchell entered the office, finding Sue sitting at her desk, staring at him, possibly burning a hole right through the back of his head. Instinctively, he tapped the back of his skull to check. No holes, but was that a bump?

"What are you doing here, Stinky?"

"I want you to tell my parents that you were wrong."

"Wrong to do what?" she questioned, "Tell the truth? No, I refuse to back down. Face it, this is all courtesy of your own doing. You're responsible for the mess you're now in."

"You said it was because of glee club," Mitchell didn't back down, "Then you convinced my parents to take me out of every class that one of them was in."

"Not to sound redundant, but that is in the interest of your best interests," she explained, "Glee club has been a very negative influence on you. You should be thanking me."

"You have no idea what you've done," Mitchell stated, "I've felt like shit ever since I left. You have no clue how much I miss my friends. I can't believe you'd go this far. I can't believe that you're willing to ruin a kid's life just to get back at Mr. Schuester." he was breaking down, "I swear to god, Ms. Sylvester, I'll never forget this. It'll be a constant reminder of just how coldhearted you are."

He was really upset, really torn up about this. Now, this wasn't a shock by any means. Sue fully expected him to be like this. But, she wasn't expecting it to be displayed right in front of her eyes. If he wasn't broken, then he was breaking. This kid needed glee club to survive.

Sickening, she refused to watch any more, "Outta my office."

**:::Art Class:::**

This just didn't feel right. If he was in this class and the glee club, then it would all be good. But, the only reason he was here was because he couldn't be in glee anymore. And now he had reached a boiling point. He found it too difficult to sit in that chair, next to Michelle, sometimes listening to Mr. Grunch, and acting like it was okay or a good thing he was there.

It wasn't.

"Mitchell?" Michelle asked.

"I miss glee," he mumbled, "I miss glee, I miss glee, I miss glee."

"You're really upset." she was concerned.

"I miss glee."

**:::Saturday Morning:::**

Mitchell picked his face up off the pillow and slurped up a little drool? The pounding on his bedroom door made it seem like someone was hammering nails inside his brain. What did he do now? It was Saturday, and usually his parents just went about their business. Last week being an exception, Mitchell usually slept very late on Saturday mornings. At least, that was his typical intention.

The thunderous knocking persisted.

"Okay, okay," he crawled out of bed and shuffled to the door, finding his father on the other side, "What's your problem?"

"Look at our front lawn and you will see exactly what my problem is, young man."

Uh-oh. Parental units never said young man unless they were filled with pride or filled with anger. And, Mr. Mason certainly was not beaming with pride at the moment.

Mitchell walked to the closest window and looked outside. He was surprised, shocked. Stunned, even. In his front yard was New Directions, fully equipped with their own band.

"MASON FAMILY!" Rachel shouted through a megaphone, "WE ARE NEW DIRECTIONS AND WE WOULD LIKE TO PERFORM A SONG FOR YOU!"

Rachel turned to her fellow members, everyone standing in their positions, and it was time to begin. The music started and everyone kicked into gear, singing together for the opening...

"_There's no business like show business_," they sang loudly, Rachel tossing the megaphone away on the first note, which it landed in Artie's lap, "_Like no business we know!"_

Mitchell was already outside, eyes glued on the performance in front of him. To be this close to the music felt almost like a drug. It was intoxicating. It filled him inch by inch inside of himself. Right down to his soul. He loved it.

Rachel took the lead, smiling at Mitchell brightly, "_Everything about it is appealing. Everything that traffic will allow. Nowhere could you get that happy feeling, when you are stealing an extra bow._"

Everyone together, "_There's no people like show people. They smile when they are low!_"

Mitchell's mom and dad came outside, standing on the front porch just watching in silence.

Kurt took over, "_Yesterday they told you you would not go far. That night you open and there you are. Next day on your dressing room, they've hung a star. Let's go on with the show..._"

"_The costumes, the scenery, the make-up, the props." _Santana sang with a smile.

_"The audience that lifts you when you're down." _Quinn sang as Finn and Puck held her up on their shoulders.

_"The headaches, the heartaches, the backaches, the flops." _Brittany gave it a try.

_"The sheriff who'll escort you out of town." _Puck sang.

_"The opening when your heart beats like a drum." _Finn gave it a go.

_"The closing when the customers don't come..." _Rachel again.

"NOT FOR NEW DIRECTIONS!" Artie joked with the megaphone.

"_There's no business like show business. Like no business we know._" everyone.

The proverbial spotlight on Jack, "_You get the word before the show has started. That your favorite uncle died at dawn. And top of that, your ma and pa have parted. You're broken-hearted. But, you go on._"

_"There's no people like show people,_" all together and dancing, "_They smile when they are low. Even with a turkey that you know will fold. You may be stranded out in the cold. Still you wouldn't change it for a sack of gold..."_

"I would!" Puck winked.

Mercedes with the big finish, letting it linger as only she could, "_Let's... Go on... With the... Show!_"

"Mr. and Mrs. Mason," Rachel and Jack stepped forward, though Rachel took an extra one closer, "We all realize that you both believe that taking Mitchell out of Glee is going to help him. But, we politely disagree with that. You've been deceived by Coach Sue Sylvester."

"Yeah," Finn and Puck, Quinn in-between them, "She's been competing with Mr. Schuester for more money on the budgets."

"Mitchell means a lot to us," Santana and Brittany, "I mean... the glee club. We miss having him around, and it's obvious he misses us, too. Especially me." she smirked.

Mitchell's parents listened to every word.

"It's obvious," his father, "That Mitchell means as much to you, as you do to him."

That had to be a good sign, right?

"But," oh no, "I'm sorry. We're standing by our decision. Mitchell's grades have already improved, as has his behavior in school."

A sting in Mitchell's heart.

"That isn't fair!" Rachel took a stand, "You're willing to sacrifice your own son's happiness? Just for good grades? Just for..."

"The song was lovely," his mother spoke, "You are all very talented. You should be proud of yourselves. The decision is final, though."

Very upset, Mitchell ran back into the house. His parents soon joined him, though they didn't run. The kids outside could hear a door slam. New Directions were froze in place, stunned beyond belief.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Monday morning, and New Directions were still walking in a fog.

"I can't believe it didn't work." Kurt was astonished.

Even Jack was surprised, "Have those people no taste? No respect for song? Didn't they ever watch a movie once in their lives? This isn't a happy ending."

"We failed." Rachel pouted, feeling especially depressed.

"We didn't fail," Finn stood up, trying to rally the troops, "It wasn't us. It wasn't Mitchell. It's Sue. As long as they still believe her... We'll never get Mitchell back."

"I'm actually kinda bummed out." Santana remarked, finding the emotion odd.

"Quinn?" Puck noticed the blonde had little tears in her eyes.

"I'm fine," she sniffled, "It's just that I'm a little sad and my hormones are out of whack."

"That happens to me too, whenever I'm pregnant." Brittany said.

Sadly, everyone's moods were so down that the random off-beat Brittany comment didn't phase them. They all just stared at the floor, still finding it very shocking that their big performance hadn't done the trick.

Door opened. It was Mr. Schuester...

"Hey guys, what's with the long faces? Didn't you hear..."

That wasn't Mr. Schuester's voice...

"... I'm back!"

"MITCHELL!" Rachel squealed happily, running over to give him a friendly hug.

"Dude!" Finn clapped hands with him, "I thought they didn't buy it."

"That's the weird thing," Mitchell answered, clapping hands and hugging everyone, "They didn't. I mean... They woke up this morning and told me that they gave it some extra thought and maybe Glee isn't such a bad place for me after all."

"Whatever," Quinn was smiling and laughing, "It doesn't matter how. It just matters that you're back."

"Hell yeah!" Mitchell was flying high, "And, guess what..."

"SECTIONALS... HERE WE COME!"

Little did the celebrating glee glub know, but Becky was peeking in from the doorway.

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

"He's back, Coach." Becky announced after shutting the door.

Seated at her desk, Sue Sylvester simply nodded. Momentarily, there was an expression on her face that wasn't negative, yet not positive. There seemed to be no expression, actually. However, if you were to look very closely... Perhaps with use of a magnifying glass... You may have noticed... Just maybe...

Sue Sylvester was smiling.

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_FINALLY!_

_The chapter is done and I can finally one-hundred percent focus on Sectionals. As I've said, a HUGE chapter. I'm talking storylines, performances, the works. Okay, maybe not the works. But, close enough. And yes, I hope the true reason that Mitchell was let back into Glee wasn't lost on anyone. I also hope that maybe for a second - a tiny little second - there was a question in the reader's minds that maybe... maybe... he wouldn't rejoin New Directions after all._

_Mitchell is back, Sectionals are around the corner. Monday is the day. The big day. The day that A Different Point of View is updated with... "Sectionals"_


	14. Sectionals

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 14- "Sectionals"**

It would be wonderful - friggin' splendid even - if this chapter could start off with the typical line; It was just your average everyday day at William McKinley High School.

Nope. Far from it, actually.

There was a rumbling in the distance, a darkness looming just beyond the horizon. The stench of catastrophe lingered in the air just enough to be noticed and not forgotten.

Mitchell, Mercedes, Kurt, Artie and Tina had convened in the choir room for a little get-together.

"I'm serious, you should try it," Mitchell was busy explaining a favorite snack of his.

"Mitchell, that is disgusting," Kurt's face screwed in disgust, "Why would someone want to eat that?"

"It's delicious, dude! I had one for breakfast this morning."

"A peanut butter and chocolate syrup sandwich?" Tina felt ill just thinking about it.

"The sandwich version of a peanut butter cup." Artie concluded.

"Doesn't the chocolate make the bread... ew... ugh... I can't even think about it." Mercedes shuddered.

Rather suddenly, the one and only Rachel Berry entered the room in a hurry. The group didn't think anything of it until she started speaking, "Hey guys. Do you any of you think it's odd how Puck rushed to Quinn's aid after rehearsal yesterday?"

**Just after finishing a rehearsal performance, Quinn happened to slip and fall. While she was perfectly fine... Finn, Puck and Mitchell all rushed over to her in a panic...**

**"Is the baby coming?" Finn asked, worried.**

**"Dude, hot towels!" Puck instructed.**

**"Do you need mouth to mouth?" Mitchell asked.**

"Why would you say that?" Tina wondered, "I mean I get that you're... _you know_... But still."

Mitchell blushed, looking the other way awkwardly, hoping no more attention would be given to his little blunder yesterday.

"Anyways, what do you think?" Rachel was eager for answers, "Strange, right?"

They all looked at each other a little before Mercedes responded, "No, why?"

"I mean, he likes her," Artie stammered a bit, "I-I... because they're friends, I mean. Everyone knows that."

"So, totally not strange." Mitchell finished his thought.

"Yeah, but didn't it seem like more than that to any of you?" Rachel wasn't satisfied, "Okay, listen, I've never told any of you about this before, but I'm a little psychic. I have a sixth sense about certain things. And, there is something definitely going on between Puck and Quinn."

"W-We should go," Mercedes said, the others following her lead and walking out.

"Wait, we have to practice!" Rachel followed them.

"Not until Mr. Schuester sets up someone to replace him," Mitchell reminded, comically hitching a ride on the back of Artie's wheelchair.

"There's nothing to be scared of," Rachel assumed she freaked them all out with her sixth sense talk, "I'm not like Carrie!"

**:::In The Halls:::**

"She's onto it," Mercedes spoke into her cell phone, "What are we gonna do?"

"I know, it's freaking me out," Tina was also talking into her phone, though she was walking side by side with Mercedes, "Wait, hold on. Oh, Artie and Mitchell wanna join. I'm going party line."

"Dudes, this is serious," Artie spoke, Mitchell still riding on the back, "She's going to tell Finn. She's a complete trout mouth."

"The jig is up!" Mitchell exclaimed, leaning forward to the phone, "I repeat, the jig is up!"

"Kurt wants in," Tina announced, handing the phone over to Mr. Hummel, "Here."

"My idea; We hold Rachel prisoner until after Sectionals. I volunteer my basement for the dirty deed."

"No go." Mitchell disagreed.

"Mitchell's right," Mercedes again, "We need her to sing. She's the best chance we have of winning."

"Damn her talent!" Kurt cursed.

Santana and Brittany jumped in, "We just heard the news. Who blabbed?"

"We assumed it was you." Artie remarked.

"Yeah, Blabber!" Mitchell snickered.

"Mitchell!" Santana scolded.

He cleared his throat and apologized meekly, "Sorry."

"Anyway," Santana focused on the subject at hand, "Why would I do that?"

"To get back at Puck," Mercedes answered, "Aren't you guys dating?"

"Sex isn't dating." Santana revealed.

"That must be why I didn't get any." Mitchell mumbled.

"Look, I don't wanna rock the boat," Santana stated a fear, "With Quinn out of the picture, I've been top dog around here. And I have every intention of keeping it that way."

"Shhh, Rachel and Jack walking by." Mercedes warned, "Hey there, hot mama."

Neither Rachel nor Jack were quite sure how to take that greeting.

"Gone," Mercedes resumed the conversation, "I admit that I screwed up when I told you guys about Quinn and Puck. And trust me, I feel really really terrible about it, but we cannot let Rachel figure this out. The second she does, she's bound to tell Finn and we all know what'll happen then."

"Then we really have no shot at victory during Sectionals."

**:::English Lit:::**

First and foremost, it felt good to be back in his normal classes. However...

Mitchell sat in the back corner of the class-room, passing it off as if he were following along with what the teacher was teaching, but his mind was elsewhere. Finn and Quinn were also in the same class, and at least appeared to be paying more attention than he was. His mind was elsewhere, dreading what almost felt inevitable. Rachel Berry may have been many things, but not a single one of them was dumb. She was intelligent and clever. And she thrived viciously at times on getting whatever it was that she desired.

Mitchell knew it was only a matter of time before she fit the pieces together and came to the conclusion that it was Puck who was the father and not Quinn. Obviously, she would tell Finn the first chance she had. In turn, Finn would fly off the handle and more likely than not dump Quinn on the spot. That's how Mitchell envisioned it all in his mind, anyway.

Maybe she wouldn't, though. Maybe by some miracle, even if Rachel discovered the secret, she would understand that passing it along to Finn would have catastrophic results. If she truly held New Directions higher than herself, she would keep the secret until after Sectionals.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Glee club was just about to start, everyone still gathering and taking their seats. Already sitting down, Mitchell couldn't help but notice how Rachel was noticing Quinn and Puck talking with each other away from everyone else. Everything stopped, though, when Mr. Schuester walked into the room with Ms. Pillsbury tailing closely behind.

"Hey guys, let's all gather 'round." Mr. Schue spoke, his tone and demeanor very quiet and serious, "I found my replacement to accompany you all to Sectionals. Ms. Pillsbury."

Why were they clapping?

"She's the one they made me talk to when they found out I was keeping that bird in my locker." Brittany looked worried.

"Do you even know anything about music?" Santana being Santana.

"I second that." Jack being Jack.

"What's important here," Mr. Schue spoke up, "Is she cares about you guys every bit as much as I do." . Mr. Schue was getting a little choked up, "Now, I have no idea what the future holds for me... for us. But, I know that Saturday, you're going to make me - yourselves - proud. I'm sure that you guys are going to be great. So, good-bye for now."

"What about our set-list?" Mercedes wondered.

"I can't help you," Mr. Schuester shook his head, "It's entirely in your hands now."

And then he was gone. Mitchell frowned, hating this. They were nothing without Mr. Schuester. They needed a leader. Ms. Pillsbury was awesome, but it wasn't the same. No one would be the same.

Everyone started talking about what they would be performing, but Mitchell didn't join in. Instead, he got up and exited the room, jogging cautiously to catch-up with the real director of glee club...

"Mr. Schuester!"

He stopped, "Yeah, Mitchell?"

"There has to be something you can do," Mitchell tried to convey how upset he was without actually showing it, despite how stupid that sounded, "We need you."

"You guys will be fine."

"Rachel and Jack will be," Mitchell agreed somewhat, "Finn and Quinn, Mercedes and Kurt. Probably the football players too and the cheerleaders. I guess that's everyone, actually. But, I won't. I'll be way too scared. This sucks so bad. I just got back and now you're gone?"

"It's just stage-fright, Mitchell," and he did believe that to be true, "But, you don't have a solo. You're dancing has improved dramatically the past couple weeks, too. You're going to be great. All of you will be."

"This isn't fair," Mitchell wasn't done, "You should..."

Mr. Schuester interrupted, "What's done is done. I'm not any more happier about it than you are. But, there's nothing I can do. The show must go on."

Mitchell had nothing else to say. After all, what could be said? Mr. Schue was right about what's done is done.

"Mitchell!" the boy turned quickly to the sound, finding Ms. Pillsbury with a drastic expression on her face, "Go get Wil- ahh... I mean Mr. Schuester! _Now_!"

"What's going..."

"SHE TOLD HIM!" Mitchell heard one of the students yell from inside of the room.

Mitchell instantly knew what had happened and bolted after Mr. Schuester, taking a corner so fast that he nearly wiped out, barely able to maintain his balance, "MR. SCHUESTER!"

"Mitchell, for the last..."

"No!" Mitchell doubled-over, out of breath, "Finn and Puck!"

"Oh no."

**:::Glee Club:::**

Mitchell and Mr. Schuester arrived on the scene, immediately hurrying over to Finn who was on top of Puck, landing thunderous blow after thunderous blow. Mitchell was first to try and pull Finn off, but caught an elbow to the eye for his troubles. Then Mr. Schuester gave it a shot and was able to pull Finn off, who was blinded with rage.

Kurt rushed over to Mitchell to make sure he was all right. He was fine, save for a light bruise forming.

"TELL THE TRUTH!" Finn roared louder than anyone had ever heard his voice, including his play calling on the football field.

"Bitch just walked in and sucker-punched me!" Puck snarled.

"Don't play dumb," Finn tried charging again, but this time was successfully held back by Mike and Matt, "You're too frickin' dumb to play dumb!"

"Who told you this, Finn?" Quinn sobbed.

"Obviously, it was Rachel." Kurt helped Mitchell up.

"I didn't..."

"Yeah, it was Rachel. But, I wanna hear it from both of you!" Finn's anger only boiled hotter.

"Damn it, Finn," Mr. Schuester's club was unraveling from the seams, "Calm down!"

"NO!" Finn yelled, "THEY'RE LYING TO ME!"

"Finn..." Quinn's tears kept flowing.

"I have to know," Finn stated, "The truth."

Quinn approached Finn slowly with those tears still falling, "Yes. Puck is the father. Finn... I am so sorry."

Finn exploded and left the room, kicking over a chair in the process, "I'm done with you! I'M DONE WITH ALL OF YOU!"

Seeing Quinn cry like that, it was almost like Mitchell could feel a crack forming in his chest. It hurt him to see her hurting. Regardless of receiving a bruise courtesy of his elbow, Mitchell couldn't help but feel bad for Finn as well. Then came a set of feelings that conflicted with what he felt for Quinn. She had lied to Finn for so long about so much. Even if that was out of love she felt for him, it was still wrong.

Selfish as it was, Mitchell couldn't help but wonder what that left him feeling. How could he be in love with a girl that could do that to someone else? That could lie and cheat like that?

"What do we do now?" Artie asked the question on all their minds, "Not to sound rude, but we have a pretty big performance coming up."

Jack Harmon sat silent in the back of the room, arms crossed, with somewhat of a pouty expression, "Please tell me I wasn't the only one that didn't know? How could I not know? Wait... Troubling... What else don't I know?"

**:::Sectionals:::**

The bus ride sucked. The entire duration of the travel time, Mitchell refused to take out his Ipod earbuds whether or not he was even listening to music at the moment. Every time he looked at Quinn, he felt a kind of disappointment. Why was he feeling it now? He had known for awhile what happened between her and Puck. If it was going to bother him, it should have started before.

Nevertheless, they arrived at their destination. By the way, without Finn. He had been replaced by Jacob Israel.

A very very last second replacement.

They all gathered in the main lobby while Ms. Pillsbury handled the business end of things. Eventually, she came to them with papers in hand...

"Okay," she began, "Smooth sailing so far. We're all signed in. And, according to the program... you have drawn performance slot number three."

"Last?" Tina didn't like that sound of that, "Isn't that bad?"

"Hardly," Rachel stood, feeling a need to try and lift the spirits of her comrades, "This is good news."

"Yes!" Jack followed suit, "We either want to be first or last."

"See," sometimes, it was almost like they shared a hive-mind like the Stepford Cuckoos, "If we're first, then everyone has to measure up to us."

"If we're last," see? Scary, "Then we're the freshest in the judges' minds."

No one seemed to believe any of that.

"You know what," Ms. Pillsbury was, "I'm with Rachel and Jack on this. The glass is definitely half-full with a lot of good things right now."

"Ms. Pillsbury's right," Mercedes agreed, "We're here now. Might as well stay positive, right?"

Mitchell was hesitant to agree.

**:::Jane Adams Academy:::**

You could have knocked each member of New Directions over with a feather. And that was keeping in mind that they were all seated in chairs. The Jane Adams girls were singing the song hand-selected by Mercedes.

"It's a really popular song." Rachel attempted to soften the blow.

Everyone loved the performance. Then came their next one... FULLY EQUIPPED WITH WHEELCHAIRS!

"What the hell?" Mitchell looked at his fellow glee members, "This is insane. Even by our standards. I can't watch anymore, I'll be at the water fountain."

Mitchell stood and left the room. Of course, the second he entered the hall, he immediately realized not only did he not know where the drinking fountain was, but he had no clue if there even was one in the building. Another thought crossed his mind, though. He had some change in his pocket and there was a pay phone in the lobby that they all passed by earlier...

"Mr. Schuester," he was on the phone, "They're doing our songs!"

"What do you..."

"_Our songs_!" Mitchell was nearly panicking, "Wheelchairs and everything. It's exactly how we choreographed them, too. Well... minus the booty-shaking."

"Sue leaked the set list," Will was fit to be tied, "I knew it!"

"Mr. Schuester, what are we going to do?"

"Is Ms. Pillsbury there?"

"I walked out on the performance, so everyone's still in there."

"Listen, tell her to call me as soon as it's over, all right?"

"Okay, will do, Boss."

"Mitchell, listen to me, it isn't over yet. You guys practiced dozens of numbers. You have more than a few memorized. Don't count yourselves out. Make sure everyone knows that; Don't lose hope."

"Okay, Mr. Schuester."

**:::Haverbrook:::**

"Holy friggin' Fraggle Rock!" Mitchell's head fell into his hands.

The Haverbrook choir was performing their very own rendition of Don't Stop Believing.

Down for the count. Hope lost.

**:::Green Room:::**

The entire glee club, minus of course Finn who wasn't there, and Quinn who was in the midst of a quick trip to the bathroom, had gathered together to discuss the pressing issue at hand. How the flaming hell did Sue Sylvester get her hands on the set list? Not only that, but know the performances inside and out, step by step? And, in all honesty, every single road lead to one destination...

"Them! The harpies!" Jack shouted in an accusatory tone, pointing dramatically at Brittany and Santana, "Ah! We were so blind, how did we not see this sooner?"

"He's right," Mercedes couldn't believe she actually agreed with Jack, it even took him by surprise, "There's no other way."

"No," Mitchell disagreed, "They wouldn't do that."

"Open your eyes for once, Mitchell Marcus Mason," Kurt said, using the full name for emphasis, "They leaked the set lists to Sue. Who else would?"

Mitchell was going to say something else when Quinn entered the room, ready to unload the burden, "It's all true. Sue told us to spy for her. We agreed."

"Oh yes, something wicked comes your way." Jack smiled in a very sinister fashion, rubbing his hands together.

"Okay, look," Santana stepped forward, "Believe what you want, but nobody's forcing me to be here. I'll deny it if you tell anyone, but I actually like being here. It's the best part of my day. It's..."

"I need to know something," the inevitable as Mitchell stood in place, his voice quiet, "The whole time that..."

"I..."

"Don't lie to him, Santana," Quinn spoke up, glaring at her, "He deserves the truth. Tell him... the truth."

Santana hesitated before finally confessing, "The only reason I started dating you was because... because... Sue told me to. It was all to try and screw up glee."

Mitchell gasped inwardly, swallowing hard, "Y-You never..."

"No, no, I did. I started because she told me to. I stayed with you because..."

"You wanted to finish the job," Mitchell felt almost as though he would pass out, "How could... HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO SOMEBODY?"

"Mitchell..." Quinn reached a hand.

"Don't touch me!" he sharply pulled away, tripping and nearly falling, shouting, startling everyone. He stared at Santana, his eyes brimming with a mix of pain and anger, "You're... You were... the only girlfriend I've had. After we sorted everything out, I felt good about myself. Better, because of you. And you said... You told me that you really liked me, that it wasn't fake. You lied! WHY DID YOU LIE?"

"We're getting too side-tracked here," Rachel stepped in, "We need to..."

Mitchell closed his eyes tightly, bringing his arms up to his head. This reminded everyone of Finn earlier, just a restricted version. Mitchell was at least trying to hold it in, "SHE LIED TO ME! SHE'S JUST LIKE QUINN!"

Quinn gasped, not expecting that.

"Dude, we were telling you all along," Puck said, "So, don't act like..."

"Puck, shut up!" Santana confronted him, "You don't know how I feel about Mitchell."

"You don't feel anything," Mitchell said, taking a seat in a chair by the windows, "I don't wanna talk to you again. I don't wanna remember you."

"This is useless!" Rachel stepped in once more, this time with a little more punch, "Whatever internal issues we have, we're just going to have to set them aside for now. We've worked way too hard to self destruct at such a crucial point."

"We have no songs." Tina reminded everyone, "It doesn't matter if we self destruct because we're already destroyed."

Jack joined Rachel, "This is pathetic. Look at us, falling apart at the seams. You don't like me, I don't like you, he doesn't like her, she hates him, none of it matters! If Batman Begins taught us nothing else, it's that the only reason we fall down is so that we can pick ourselves up."

"I didn't know you liked Batman." Artie mentioned.

"Now's not the time, Speedy," Jack didn't care, "All eyes and ears on Rachel. Stop whining and listen to her!"

"Okay, we need a ballad. Mercedes, do you have anything else in your repertoire?"

"Not anything that's as good as what you can sing." Mercedes shook her head, "Look, Rachel, I hate it but you're the best singer we've got."

"As much as it hurts me to admit it - and, trust me it does - Rachel, you are our star." even Kurt agreed.

"You sing better than everyone." Mitchell said, looking out the window.

A subtle smile formed across Rachel's lips. But, a massive one warmed her heart. To hear positive feedback like that from her peers was a monumental step forward, "Well, I do have something I've been working on since I was four."

"That's our ballad," Quinn said, "We can do Somebody to Love after that. It's a crowd-pleaser."

"Lotta good it'll do us," Puck's two cents, "We still need a big finish. One that we can sing together."

The next hurdle they needed to jump over. But, nobody could think of anything worthwhile. Yes, they certainly had their share of performances lined up, but it needed to be something powerful that included each and every one of them. Something that summed them up perfectly. A real knock-out blow. A main event.

As they all searched their minds, a surprise came in the form of Finn Hudson walking into the room with sheet music in his hand, "I have one. I found the sheet music online. I used the Cheerio's copier to make copies... Then I trashed that shit."

"Whoo!" Mitchell cheered for the property destruction.

The sheets were passed from one member to the next as Finn instructed them all on what to do, "Mike, Matt, Brittany and Santana; You're our best dancers. Figure something out and we'll follow you."

The four of them went to work as Finn continued, "Mitchell, I'm sorry about catching you with my elbow. It was an accident."

"No worries." Mitchell shrugged.

"Cool," Finn approached him and stood him up, "Because I'm gonna need you out there. You have a great rock voice, but that isn't gonna cut it anymore. Show Choir isn't about acoustic songs. When you go out there, you have to really let yourself go."

"I can't sing... good."

"Yeah you can, dude," Finn assured him, "You got it in you. We all do," Finn turned to everyone else, "That's what makes us... _us_. When push comes to shove, we believe in ourselves and what we're singing about. All we need to do is prove that to the judges and this competition is ours."

"You're our Cyclops, dude," Mitchell extended a hand, and Finn shook it, "Our leader."

"It's good to have you back, Finn." Rachel smiled.

Jack sighed, "As much as it pains me to do so, I must admit, she's right. _They_ listen to you. Why, I do not know. But, they do."

Jacob nervously approached Finn, "Thank goodness you're here. The only reason I did this was to try and get into Rachel's pants. And it was becoming less and less worth it."

Puck stepped up to Finn next, extending a hand much like Mitchell had, "Cool, dude?"

Finn turned his back on both Puck and Quinn, who was watching, "No."

"Puck's Wolverine." Mitchell whispered.

**:::New Directions:::**

"And now," the announcer on stage, "Our final team; McKinley High's New Directions!"

Rachel exploded through the curtain at the tops of the stairs, the spotlight on her, "_Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter. Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter." she started walking down, "Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade!_

A little more pep to her actions, "_Don't tell me not fo fly, I've simply got to. If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you. Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade_." . She interacted with the audience like a pro, "_I'm marchin' my band out. I'm beatin' my drum. And if I'm fanned out. Your turn at bat, sir. At least I didn't fake it. Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it._"

Her voice grew stronger, "_But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection. A freckle on the nose of life's complexion. The cinder or the shiny apple of its eye. I gotta fly once, I gotta try once. Only can die once. Right, sir_."

She was heading steadily to the stage until officially stepping onto it, "_Oh, life is juicy juicy, and you see. I gotta have my bite, sir. Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a comer. I simply gotta march, My heart's a drummer. Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade_."

Big finish, "_I'm gonna live and live now. Get what I want, I know how. One roll for the whole shebang. One throw, that bell will go clang. Eye on the target and wham. One shot, one gunshot and bam! Hey, Mr. Arnstein, Here I am! I'll march... My band out_!"

The rest of New Directions entered from the top curtains in either aisle, "_I'll beat my drum! And if I'm fanned out. Your turn at bat, sir. At least I didn't fake it. Hat, sir, I guess I didn't make it. Get ready for me, love, 'cause I'm a comer. I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer. Nobody, no, nobody is gonna rain on my parade!"_

Standing ovation as the rest stood behind her. Rachel then gestured to them proudly, "Ladies and gentlemen, New Directions!"

They sang together, all dressed in their red and black, Mitchell standing between Finn and Mercedes, stomach fluttering nervously, "_You can't always get what you want. You can't always get what you want. But if you try sometimes. You'll find... You get what you need_!" they all moved perfectly together.

"You should see Mitchell!" Ms. Pillsbury giggled into the phone.

"Oh god, how's he doing?"

"Fabulous," she beamed, "They all are, Will."

**:::Glee Club:::**

The entirety of New Directions - this including Mr. Schuester - were inside of the choir room. Despite a lot of the negativity and very hurtful emotions involved as of late, everyone was happy. The win at Sectionals was just so big for so many reasons. None of them would ever forget how they overcame adversity. How they managed to pick themselves up after falling so many times.

At the moment, New Directions were all standing in a line, and Mr. Schuester was in front of them, nearly in tears from being so happy and so overwhelmed with pride.

"Words can't describe it, guys," he said, "No matter what happened, no matter what hurdle was thrown in front of you, the Sectionals trophy was won by New Directions!"

They all cheered and applauded.

"I just wish I could have been there to see it with my own two eyes."

"Not to worry, Mr. Schuester," Rachel had one of those smiles on her face, "I had an idea during the ride home, and we've all agreed on it."

"What's that?" he asked, curiously.

They all stepped aside, giving way to the large Sectionals trophy. Mr. Schuester was lit with pride. The kids had done it. They had literally brought home the gold.

It seemed that Rachel Berry and Jack Harmon would be assuming the lead for this selection of song.

"_I've paid my dues, time after time_," Jack sang softly yet strongly at the same time, "_I've done my sentence. But committed no crime. And bad mistakes, I've made a few_." his voice grew in volume greatly as the passion bled through generously, "_I've had my share of sand kicked in my face, but I'd come through_!"

Jack moved closer to the group, "_We are the champions, my friends. And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end_."

Everyone together, now standing in the auditorium, filling the stage, "_We are the champions. We are the champions! No time for losers, 'cause we are the champions..._"

Jack alone for the long sustained note, arms outstretched, "... _Of the world_!"

Rachel stepped to centre stage, the spotlight on her and Jack, "_I've taken my bows, and my curtain calls. You've brought me fame and fortune and everything that goes with it, I thank you all_," she had turned to the club for the thank you, then back to the seats, "_But it's been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise_," then she really came alive, the fire visible in her face and emotions, "_I consider it a challenge before the whole human race, and I ain't gonna lose!_"

She joined the group, "_We are the champions, my friends. And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end_."

Everyone now, "_We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losers 'cause we are the champions of the world._"

Rachel and Jack joined each other in front of everyone, acting overly-dramatic, at least in the humble opinions of everyone else involved, "_We are the champions, our friends. And we'll keep fighting 'til the end_."

They went ahead and took it home, "_We are the champions. We are the champions. No time for losers, 'cause we are the champions!_"

Everyone celebrated in the background as Rachel and Jack pantomimed that roses were being thrown to them from an overwhelmed and joyus audience that wasn't really there.

"Question?" Mitchell raised his hand once the supposed fan-fare finished, "Why did we not do this for Sectionals?"

**:::In the Halls:::**

Two peas in a pod, so to speak. Both Mitchell and Finn were hurting, though they recently wore brave faces for the good of New Directions. Quinn had lied and cheated, Santana had lied and broken Mitchell's heart. Out of this, Mitchell and Finn seemed to form an instant bond. Especially considering how Puck was involved in the debacle now known as Baby-Gate.

Mitchell and Finn walked down the hall together. In the background and at the lockers, Quinn and Santana stood together, both looking at their respectable guys, thinking about what was lost.

"I can't believe I feel this bad." Santana remarked.

"Why did I do it?" Quinn sighed, "The whole time, I felt bad. The whole time... I knew it was wrong and how guilty I would feel afterward."

"You think there's any chance of them talking to us again?"

"Finn will talk to you, Mitchell will talk to me. But, that's it for awhile." Quinn frowned sadly.

Then the soft music started...

Quinn and Santana caught up with Finn and Mitchell, each taking their side. Quinn started singing, the tears already building, "_You and me. We used to be together, everyday together. Always. I really feel I'm losing my best friend," _Finn didn't acknowledge her, he and Mitchell going forward in more than one way, "_I can't believe this could be the end."_

Quinn and Santana sang gently together, "_It looks as though you're letting go. And if it's real, Well I don't want to know._"

On the bus ride home, Quinn and Santana sitting behind Finn and Mitchell, singing together, "_Don't speak. I know just what you're saying. So please stop explaining. Don't tell me 'cause it hurts. Don't speak. I know what you're thinking, I don't need your reasons. Don't tell me 'cause it hurts_."

Now it was just Santana singing sadly to Mitchell as he ignored her completely, the two of them the focal point in the choir room amongst all the other students, "_Our memories. Well, they can be inviting, but some are altogether mighty frightening. As we die, both you and I, with my head in my hands, I sit and cry_."

Quinn joined in for the chorus, "_Don't speak. I know just what you're saying. So please stop explaining. Don't tell me 'cause it hurts. Don't speak, I know what you're thinking. I don't need your reasons, don't tell me 'cause it hurts_."

Still together, "_It's all ending, we gotta stop pretending who we are_."

As the instrumental break came, Finn and Mitchell left the choir room, the two girls following them. And, as they walked out of the choir room, they were suddenly walking away from the auditorium stage, wearing very fine clothing. Quinn and Santana were on the stage, the spotlight on them, dressed in beautiful elegance. The two boys were each in a different aisle, on their way up to the exits, leaving the girls behind.

"_You and me_," Quinn sang, stopping Finn and Mitchell, "_I can see us dying... Are we?_"

Finn and Mitchell looked at each other for a moment, then to the girls. A second later, they were returning to the stage as the girls used their voices expertly, "_Don't speak, I know just what' you're saying, so please stop explaining. Don't tell me cause it hurts... no no no... Don't speak, I know what you're thinking. And I don't need your reasons, don't tell me 'cause it hurts. Don't tell me cause it hurts!_"

Finn and Mitchell fought the urge to move any closer, battling building sadness inside, the girls continuing their proverbial onslaught, "_I know what you're saying, so please stop explaining. Don't speak, don't speak, don't speak. Oh, I know what you're thinking, and I don't need your reasons. I know you're good. I know you're good. I know you're real good._"

Finn and Mitchell gave in and the two former couples began dancing slowly, moving perfectly together, their last dance being shared tragically, "_Oh, la la la la la la, la la la la la la. Don't, don't, uh-huh. Hush hush darlin'. Hush hush darlin'. Hush hush, don't tell me 'cause it hurts. Hush, hush darlin'. Hush, hush, don't tell me 'cause it hurts. Hush, hush darlin'. Hush, hush darlin'. Hush, hush don't tell me 'cause it hurts._"

The music faded out, and momentarily, the two couples kissed for the final time. Finn and Mitchell turned and walked away, holding hands with Quinn and Santana until they could no longer reach. The girls watched with sad faces as the guys walked away with equally sad expressions. Soon enough, their foot-steps could no longer be heard and the doors were shut.

Curtains close.

**:::The Hospital:::**

Damn, it felt good to help win that first place trophy. Regardless of everything that happened behind the scenes, Mitchell looked back on that first place performance fondly. For those few minutes, nothing was wrong. There were no bad feelings, no trust issues, nothing even remotely close. It was just a bunch of glee clubbers doing what they loved to do.

If only their time not performing could feel just like that.

He was sitting on a bench in front of the hospital. Mr. Sanders was just finishing up a few things inside, and then he would come out to hand Mitchell his check for the week. His Ipod on full bast, Mitchell happened to glance to his side and noticed Quinn coming towards him, "Appointment?" he asked, taking the buds out of his ears.

"No," she shook her head, taking a seat next to him, "I just... needed someone to talk to."

"I'm sorry about how I acted at Sectionals," he quickly apologized, "I was just... It..."

"I understand. Things kinda suck for both of us right now."

"You tried to warn me," Mitchell remembered that day clearly, "I didn't listen good enough."

"For what it's worth," she wanted him to know this, as well as accept it, "She did genuinely like you by the end."

He didn't believe that.

"Mitchell," Quinn pressed calmly, "She really did. It wouldn't surprise me if she still does."

"It... It doesn't matter, you know?" his eyes focused on a rock in the pavement below their feet, "She wanted to destroy me and New Directions. At one point, her only concern was being a bitch."

"I was the same," Quinn admitted, though it was already out there, "All three of us were."

"You're not like them," Mitchell shook his head, "You're different, Quinn."

"You need to stop seeing me differently," she said somewhat cryptically, "Honestly, I feel like a monster right now and part of me wishes you'd call me out on it."

"You're not a monster," why would she even think that, "You're... Okay, I know that lately..."

"I know how you feel about me," Quinn waited for a reaction, but Mitchell just froze, "It's okay, Mitchell."

"I-I..."

"I'm okay with it," and she was for the most part, "I'm flattered, actually."

"How'd you..."

"That first time we ran into each other here," she recalled the memory, "In the parking lot. Just the way you looked at me. I just... _I knew_."

"Umm... Uhh... I-I don't..."

"I need you to be my friend, Mitchell," her delicate voice always got to him, "If we're going to have a real friendship, you have to let go of the version of me built up in your head. You have to see me for me. For who I really am."

He felt like he was about to cry, "That's... impossible."

"I have so much on my plate right now," she dove into details, "The baby, Finn and Puck. I can't honestly handle anymore. I need friendships. Not relationships. I'm sorry, Mitchell, I don't feel that way about you."

A lump in his throat.

"I like you, though," she felt one in her throat as well, "Like a friend. A really good friend. And, as one, I wish you'd fight for Santana."

"No way." okay, he would try to move past the Quinn stuff, but trying to forgive what Santana had done and get back with her? That was impossible. It would never happen. He had absolutely no desire to even talk to her, let alone make an attempt to restart their relationship.

A few quiet moments passed, "Maybe we should both take a break from relationships. We're not really doing that great at them."

"That was pretty shitty what you do to Finn," he said seriously, though there was some humor, "I mean... really rude."

"That's more like it." she smiled partially.

"What a bitch." he chuckled, she did too.

"I like this," she rested her head on his shoulder, "Nothing complicated. No secrets, no rivalry. Just two friends hanging out together. You have no idea how much I need this right now."

"The same thing for me." Mitchell sighed contentedly, tilting his head gently against hers.

So close... Yet so far away.


	15. Hell O

I've made a change. Nothing crucial, more of a surface change. At first, I pictured Michelle as being modeled after Avril Lavigne. But, I've changed my mind. I'd rather used someone not as well known. So, I've gone with the girl of Green Day video fame... Lisa Stelly.

I should say, as with Mitchell, feel free to use Michelle if the mood should strike.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 15- "Hell-O"**

READ ALL ABOUT IT; NEW DIRECTIONS WINS SECTIONALS!

The sun was a little brighter, the air was a little crisper and cleaner. There was an added pep in his step. Yeah, Mitchell Marcus Mason was actually feeling pretty good. Despite everything that went down behind the scenes, the performance from New Directions was a hit. They had brought home the first place trophy. For the first time in a long while, Mitchell found himself to be genuinely happy.

Which may not have made much sense overall. You know, considering that Santana admitted she was using him, and Quinn made it known that she wished only to be friends with him. But, damn it Janet, Mitchell was feeling good. His troubles were behind him, and he was looking to the future with a pocket full of sunshine and a handful of optimism. Or vice-versa.

He spotted Rachel walking down the hallway at school, her pearly whites sparkling brightly as she smiled, and he decided to join her, unable to wipe his own smile off his face...

"Rach!"

"Mitch!"

"I'm still so stoked about sectionals," he admitted, "Uhh... people still say stoked, right?"

"Doesn't matter," she casted it aside, "Because, as of our glorious win at sectionals, we're the ones making all the rules now."

"Hey guys," Mercedes joined in, having just closed her locker, "Looking good."

"Feeling good, Mercedes," Rachel answered, Mercedes on her left and Mitchell on her right, "Isn't this just so amazing?"

"Everyone's looking at us differently," Mitchell stated as Kurt joined in next to him.

"We're glitterati," Kurt said, also smiling, "I feel like Lady Gaga."

"Get used to it guys," Rachel lead the charge, "We're stars now. I mean, we're on par with all the jocks and popular kids. It's the dawn of a new era here at McKinley and we are gonna rule this school!"

SLUSHEE FACIALS!

Mitchell spit some out, "Even Lady Gaga gets slushee facials, right?"

**:::Glee Club:::**

New Directions had gathered in the choir room per the usual. Mitchell currently had a towel draped over his head like a prize-fighter may do. His hair was still wet from the slushee attack earlier. Which sucked. Meanwhile, Mr. Schuester was busy writing something on the white-board. Of course, Mitchell had no idea what he was writing...

"What's he doing?" Mitchell asked, sitting on the right side of Changster.

"Dude, take that off!" Puck spat, "I feel like there's an Al-Qaeda operative about to attack and it makes me wanna call America's Most Wanted."

"He did get an abnormally large amount of slushee in his hair," Rachel spoke on his behalf.

Jack cringed, "Please tell me you didn't wash out Lamb Chop's hair?"

"I merely did what any friend would do," Rachel explained, "I'd hope you all would do the same for me."

"What I would like to know is how Finn feels about his woman with her fingers in another man's hair?" Santana smirked.

"Grrrrr," Mitchell's wound was still a little raw at times.

"I don't know," Finn answered the question, "I mean, at least she didn't cheat on me."

"Grrrrr," Quinn's turn to release a growl.

Mr. Schuester finally decided to address the class, "Hello."

What? They had already said hi to him when he walked in.

"Hello?" he tried again, gesturing to the stick figure on the board.

"Hello!" they all returned.

"_Hello_ has got to be one of the single most important words... _period_. As we all know, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. Little known fact, he liked to say 'Ahoy, Ahoy,' as a greeting. See, it was Edison who first decided that hello was a more appropriate greeting."

"Are we in history class?" Mitchell asked, the towel still over his head.

"Take it off!" Puck again, "It's bothering me!"

"You gotta chill, dude," Mitchell replied, "You're way too tense."

"You think he wouldn't be, considering he's with Quinn now," Artie added.

"Grrrrrr," Finn's turn.

"Seriously, can we speed this up?" Brittany asked, "I have para-sailing practice in an hour."

What the hell?

"Before I'm interrupted again, let me cut to the chase. I am so proud of you guys for what you did at sectionals. Despite differences and arguments, you managed to come together and win as a team. But, now we have to prepare for regionals. And, it's going to take everything we got to defeat Vocal Adrenaline. So, I want you all to step outside your boxes and try something new."

"What do you mean, Mr. Schue?" Tina asked.

"Do something you've never done before. Maybe something you haven't done in a long time. Maybe hang out with someone you wouldn't typically hang out with. Meet someone new, listen to new songs. And, I want this all to lead to us possibly reinventing ourselves a little. It's time for some new New Directions. We need a new... Hello."

"So, here's the assignment," Mr. Schuester continued, "Pick a song with the word Hello in the title, while keeping in mind that I want you to try something new. Something fresh and unexpected, okay? By the way, extra credit for whoever gets that ridiculous thing off Mitchell's head."

"Oh my god," Mitchell could feel the mob closing in, "MR. SCHUESTER!"

**:::In The Halls:::**

Minus the towel, but plus a few unsightly scratches, Mitchell was on his way to his next class. While doing so, he couldn't help but think about how most of the more memorable and exciting moments at school seemed to usually happen while he was in the hallways. Case in point...

"Mitchell," it was Michelle approaching from the side, "Whoah, what happened to you?"

"Extra credit. Hey," he noticed something, pointing to her hair, "I didn't know you were a brunette."

"It's my natural color, actually," her response as they walked, "Anyway, I wanted to ask you... When are you coming back to Art?"

He cocked a brow, "I dropped out when my parents let me go back to glee and my other classes."

"Oh," she tried to hide her disappointment, "I didn't realize..."

"It's okay," he said simply, "I would have stayed, but I wanted to be back with my friends."

"I understand," she partially smiled, "It's just... when I asked Mr. Grunch..."

"He didn't say anything?" Mitchell accidentally interrupted, "That's kinda surprising, no? I mean, he seems like the type that would make a big deal out of someone quitting."

"He said you'd be back after the sectionals performance," she explained, "The seat's still empty next to me."

"Weird," he wasn't really reading much into it.

"By the way," she perked up a little, "I was in the crowd for sectionals."

"You were?" he smiled, "Aw man, hopefully you didn't lose all respect for me?"

"No," she laughed, "You were good. Everyone was. I wish I could sing as good as Rachel."

"Do you sing?" he asked.

She already knew why he had asked that, "Just with the radio sometimes."

A couple silent moments passed by, Mitchell coming up on his class, which happened to be Spanish, "Hey, I'll see you around?"

"Yeah," she nodded and they parted ways.

**:::Glee Club:::**

The next day had come. Sad but true, Mitchell had made zero progress on his Hello assignment. He had to wiki Hello songs and nothing appealed to him. Although, he was a big Doors fan. That was courtesy of his father liking them all his life. Of course, he couldn't perform it, due to Finn entering the room singing it.

Still, Mitchell applauded when the performance ended. Then cocked a brow when Rachel stood up, "And that, fellow glee clubbers, is how we say _hello_." then came the school bell, "Mr. Schuester, I would like to run a few of my Hello ideas by you, if that would be okay." and she went on her way.

As everyone began gathering their things and heading out, Mitchell couldn't help but notice Santana and Brittany walking over to Finn with their pinkies locked. Trouble was brewing, that much for sure. Mitchell couldn't hear, but it appeared as though the two girls were flirting with him.

"Don't let it bother you," Quinn offered advice, tapping his shoulder as she walked by. Though, obviously, she may have been in need of taking her own advice.

As mentioned, the wounds Santana had inflicted were still raw. Sighing, Mitchell just shook his head, shuffling his feet as he walked out of the room.

**:::In The Halls:::**

Another case of something happening in the halls. The next day had come (again) and Mitchell was on his way to class when he walked by the girls bathroom and heard sobbing that could only belong to one person...

"Rachel?" he knocked on the door, sincerely hoping he wasn't wrong. Suddenly, the door opened and he was pulled inside, "Whoah," he was breathless, swallowing hard, "I had a dream just like this, but you were wearing the outfit from Baby One More Time."

She had a stern expression upon her face. One might say it was determined and full of focus, "I've decided on my choice for the glee club assignment."

"Shouldn't you be happy, then?" he couldn't believe he was standing in the girls bathroom.

"Finn dumped me," she sniffled, "For someone you're quite familiar with."

"Grrrrr."

"My sentiments, exactly," she agreed, "So, will you help me?"

"Sure," he nodded, "This is actually really cool, 'cause I've been having trouble picking a song."

**:::Glee Club:::**

Rachel and Mitchell sat next to each other in the top row, both eyeing the scene displayed in front of them. Finn was chatting it up with Brittana. Something about Hawaiian people and pizza. Sadly, it made Mitchell more hungry than jealous, although it did feel very uncomfortable to see them schmoozing.

"All right, guys," Mr. Schuester walked in, setting his bag down on the piano, "Need to get moving on those Hello numbers."

"Mr. Schuester," Rachel raised her hand, Mitchell suddenly feeling nervous, "I think that Mitchell and I have found a song that sums up our feelings perfectly."

"Fantastic, you two. Show us what you got."

Rachel and Mitchell got up from their seats, ready to get this performance done. And while Rachel was set more on making an emphatic statement to Finn, Mitchell was more concerned with what the grade would be. Or, at least, how it would be received by Mr. Schuester and his peers in New Directions.

The musical number started routinely enough. Rachel had her hands on her hips and Mitchell was backing her up...

"_I wake up every evening_," Rachel kicked it off, "_With a big smile on my face, and it never feels out of place_!"

Then they sang together, Rachel confronting Finn while Mitchell did the same to Santana, "_When you see my face, hope it gives you hell. Hope it gives you hell!"_

Mitchell gave it a go by himself, "_Now, where's your picket fence, love?"_

"_And where's that shiny car?" _Rachel asked in song, walking around and behind Finn.

"_Did it ever get you far_?" both of them, Mitchell following Rachel.

"_You never seemed so tense, love," _Rachel sang right in Finn's ear, making the quarterback a little nervous, "_I've never seen you fall so hard. Do you know where you are?"_

Rachel kept it going, Mitchell tapping into a background voice, "_And truth be told I miss you," _Rachel headed over to Kurt, the group starting to get into it, save for the two individuals it was directed towards, "_And truth be told, I'm lying_!" she pulled Kurt up and he walked to the other side, trying to hide a smile.

Rachel then sat between Tina and Mercedes as Mitchell took a chair next to Quinn, and they both sang, "_When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well_."

"_Treats you well_!" Brittany chimed in, prompting a death glare courtesy of Santana.

Rachel and Mitchell again, now standing in front of everyone, "_Then he's a fool, you're just as well, hope it gives you hell_."

Rachel by herself, pointing to Changster as Mitchell was next to her, pointing to Brittany. The two singers then went back to back as their dancers approached, "_Now, you'll never see, what you've done to me."_

Mitchell now, with Mike and Brittany dancing around, "_You can take back your memories, they're no good to me_."

Rachel taking it home, "_And here's all your lies, you can look me in the eyes. With that sad sad look, that you wear so well."_

Everyone sang the chorus together, clapping, having a good ol' time. Except, of course, for a certain two, "_When you see my face, hope it gives hell, hope it gives you hell. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell. Hope it gives you hell. If you find a man that's worth a damn and treats you well_."

"_Treats you well!" _Brittany sang right to Mitchell, nearly igniting Santana's anger into an actual flame.

Everyone again, "_Then he's a fool, you're just as well, hope it gives you hell_."

Rachel and Mitchell pulled up chairs in the centre, back to back, standing on them as they sang together louder than the rest, _"When you see my face, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you well. When you walk my way, hope it gives you hell, hope it gives you hell. When you hear this song and sing along. Well, you never tell. 'cause you're a fool, I'm just well, hope it gives you hell. When you hear this song, I hope that it will give you hell."_

Rachel by herself for the finish, _"You can sing along, I hope that it will treat you well." _her and Mitchell dropping to their seats as the final note was struck.

"Good performance, but," Mr. Schuester stepped in as everyone calmed themselves down, "I hate to say this because I don't want to be a buzz-kill. The assignment was Hello."

"Mitchell and I were focusing on the first syllable," Rachel made everyone aware, especially Finn.

"You know what," Mr. Schuester had his hands on his hips, a tell-tale sign that he meant business, "While we were winning our competition at sectionals, Vocal Adrenaline was busy winning theirs. Guys, they're on a serious streak, going three years strong. I need you guys to take things more seriously and stay sharp. If we don't place at regionals, then glee club is officially closed... Permanently."

Ominous words from the Director as the school bell rang and everyone started filing out of the room. However, two stayed back for a minute. The two being Mitchell and Rachel.

"I'm sorry, Mitchell," Rachel felt a smidge of guilt for dragging him into this, "I shouldn't have let personal feelings get in the way the assignment."

"That's fine," he was okay with it, "Honestly, I would have gotten an incomplete, anyway. Something's better than nothing, right?"

"I guess," everyone else had left the room, Quinn and Jack making note of who was left behind, "So... Do you think our effort hit home?"

Mitchell chuckled, "I think so. I mean, Finn looked like he had just ate some bad food."

Rachel nearly smiled, "Did you notice Santana's face when Brittany joined in?"

"Classic," he responded.

"Hey," she seemed a little shy for a couple seconds, "What if we teamed up one more time?"

Mitchell was hit with a mental flash of his Rachel Berry Baby One More Time dream.

"Oh, baby baby," Mitchell mumbled somewhat absent-mindedly.

"What?"

"Uh... nothing," he rubbed the back of his head, "Anyway, yeah, that sounds great."

"Good," she smiled, though it was obvious she was still hurting from Finn, "How about we meet at the library Saturday?"

"Sure," he shrugged, "It's a date!"

She cocked a brow.

"Actually..." poor choice of words, "Not a date. God, I'm an idiot."

"It's okay," she giggled, "I know what you meant. Maybe while we're there, we can cook up an idea for you and Quinn?"

Mitchell's lighthearted mood quickly fell under a weight, "She just... Wants to be friends."

"Mitchell?" Rachel felt the need to point something out, "That's what Finn said before we started dating."

A sliver of hope provided by Rachel Berry.

**:::In The Halls:::**

"CALLING ALL PREGNOIDS."

Stunned, a bit humiliated, Quinn looked over her shoulder to find Jack Harmon coming up from behind. He seemed his usual self, albeit with a little added extra swagger. No doubt brought upon by the recent break-up between Finchel.

"What do you want, Jack?" Quinn wasn't in the greatest mood, though it was just pregnant stuff bugging her, plus she still ached a little over everything that happened between her and Finn.

"Just looking for some curiosity to be quenched," he explained, arriving at her side with a hard to hide grin on his face.

Quinn knew it, "You might as well ask her out, you know? If nothing else, she'd go out with you just to get back at Finn."

"Good to know," he noted, "But, not the root of my curiosity."

Quinn took a breath, leaning back against the wall beside a set of lockers, "Okay, what is it?"

"Why did you start dating the Mohawked Jew?"

"Are you serious?"

"As a heart attack."

Quinn sighed, "No, I mean... Do you seriously not know the answer to that?"

"Bambi would be a wiser choice," he said, surprising Quinn, "What? It's obvious."

"Puck's the father of my baby and Mitchell and I are just friends."

Jack laughed.

"Oh my god, what's gotten into you?"

"Bambi would follow you into the depths of the underworld," Jack felt like he were stating the obvious, "He's completely taken with you. And, what New Directions needs these days is stability."

"I'm not having this conversation," Quinn turned on her heels and started walking away.

"You're afraid of something," Jack caught on, "But, what? What could the ex-head cheerleader possibly be afraid of? What causes her to tremble so much that she refuses to make a wise decision?"

Quinn stopped suddenly, "That's enough, Jack. I'm not in the mood, and I don't feel like having this conversation with you. I'm with Puck, that's how it's going to be."

Jack took a step back, hands going in his pockets, "Fine." Quinn continued on her way, "But, I saw how you looked at him," she stopped for a moment, "When him and Rachel stayed behind. I saw how you looked at him."

Quinn shook it off, now a bit upset, and turned a corner, leaving Jack's sight.

**:::Saturday:::**

Sad but true, Mitchell didn't even realize there were music libraries. The teenager figured that all libraries were books and nothing more. Alas, there he was standing with Rachel, rummaging through various song books, trying to find a decent Hello song that they could perform together on Monday.

Rachel sighed, closing another book as the two gleeks sat at a table, "This is getting us nowhere."

"Tell me about it," Mitchell shared her sentiment, "As if it's not hard enough finding a song with Hello in the title, he also wants it to be something we wouldn't usually sing."

"Maybe we should split up?" Rachel offered.

"Good idea," Mitchell pushed his chair out and stood, "I'll check the stacks, you check up front?"

"It's a plan," and they split up.

Mitchell had to admit that it felt good to hang out with Rachel. It was nothing complicated, just two friends enjoying each other's company. Also, it was kind of ironic due to Mr. Schuester's assignment. Surely, Rachel and him were already friends, but they had never really spent any time together.

"Hello," Mitchell read the cover of a particular book he found, "A guide to introducing yourself to new music."

Ah, perfect.

That was one. Though, Mitchell wanted to return to Rachel with a little more to give. So, he kept looking. But, his search was cut short when he spotted Rachel talking with a boy. Once it dawned on Mitchell who this person was, his jaw practically ended up with a bruise on it from dropping to the floor. It was freakin' Jesse St. James of Vocal Adrenaline fame.

Jesse freakin' St. freakin' James!

"Mitchell?"

Startled, Mitchell ended up dropping the book he had right down on his foot, "Ow!"

"Wow, sorry," it was Michelle behind him, "Did I scare ya?"

"I'm good," Mitchell composed himself while picking up his book and pretending that his foot wasn't hurting like hell at the moment.

"You're here with Rachel?" Michelle wondered innocently.

"_Was_, actually," Mitchell answered, spying.

"What do you mean?"

"She's busy now," he said, watching as they moved over to a piano and started performing a song, "Okay, very busy."

"Were you guys on a date?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

"Curious by nature," she half-smiled.

Mitchell noticed she had a Green Day song book in her hands, "New or old?" his question referring to the band's old style of music or newer style. Which did Michelle like more?

"Both."

"Impossible," he almost chuckled, "I've never met a single Green Day fan that likes all their songs."

"I live on the edge of impossible," a cryptic yet silly response, "I'm gonna go check this out. I'll see you in school?"

The idea elves were busy creating something in Mitchell's mind. Frantically constructing something that fit in perfectly with what Mr. Schuester was trying to accomplish with his assignment for the glee club...

"Mind if I tag along?"

A brow raised over Michelle's eye, "Wh... Umm... I guess... Why do you want to hang out with me?"

_'Oh god, good going Michelle. He finally gives you the time of day and you say something that stupid?'_

That wasn't the response Mitchell was expecting, and found himself suddenly very on edge, "I don't... I mean... I was just... I have no idea. Just bored, I guess."

_'Oh god, good going you freakin' moron. Now she's gonna think you only wanna spend time with her because you have absolutely nothing else to do. Fabulous. Really fantastic!'_

They both looked at each other awkwardly, eyes shifting nervously, like they couldn't think of anything else to say to remedy this situation. That's when the realization settled in that it needed to be like a band-aid. Right off!

At the exact same moment, mimicking each other perfectly... "Bye!"

And they went their separate ways.

**:::Monday:::**

Spanish class had just ended, Mitchell exiting the room after saying bye to Mr. Schuester. With his backpack over his shoulder, he started on his way to his next class. After taking a corner, he was met by Rachel...

"There you are," Rachel was first to speak, skipping any greetings, "Where'd you go at the library?"

"Skipped out," short explanation, "You looked busy."

"You saw?" she asked, whispering, very worried about any repercussions, "Please tell me you didn't tell anyone?"

"No," he answered, assuring her, "I didn't. But, Rachel, just tell me it was some fluke. The musical version of a one-night stand."

She couldn't lie, "I don't think so."

That was more of a shock than seeing her with Jesse Saturday morning, "You're joking, right?"

"It felt like we connected."

"He's using you, Rachel," Mitchell shook his head, starting to speed up his pace, "Trust me, I know a thing or two about the subject."

In her mind, she could picture Finn saying almost the very same thing, "I know how it looks, Mitchell. But, I want to mean something to someone. I want to feel special. Is that so wrong?"

When she said it like that, his anger with the subject lessened, "I guess not. But, just... be careful? I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Rachel half-smiled, "Thanks, Mitchell, that means a lot."

Mitchell nodded, "See you in glee club."

"Bye."

Mitchell and Rachel parted ways, only a few more seconds to spare before Mitchell's next class began, which would be...

"Mason!" there was Puck, the expression on his face letting Mitchell know this wouldn't be a pleasant social visit.

"Puck," Mitchell greeted, reminded of how a lot of important things happened in the halls, "How's business?"

"Shitty, actually," Puck was in the mood for some confrontation, "You been talkin' to my girl?"

What? Mitchell was lost, "Since when is Rachel your..."

"Cut the crap, Mason," Puck pushed Mitchell against a locker, more for intimidation purposes than trying to hurt him, though, "You know who I'm talking about!"

"Dude, calm down," Mitchell pushed him away, fixing his collar, "I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't talked to Quinn in over a week except for glee rehearsals."

"Yeah, well good, keep it that way," Puck became a little more threatening, pointing his finger, "I know what you're up to. Being her best friend until she finally caves, right? Well, quit it. I'm finally with Quinn now and I'm not gonna let some punk screw it up!"

"Back off!" Mitchell came alive, shoving Puck back, though not nearly far enough, as the football star responded with a shove of his own, Mitchell slamming back into the lockers, "Screw it!" Mitchell growled, having had enough and went after Puck, the two of them tangling in the middle of the hallway.

"HEY!" Mr. Schuester had come around the corner, wedging in between them as Mike and Matt showed up as well, pulling them away, "Both of you, my office. Right now!"

**:::Mr. Schuester's Office:::**

"Now, explain to me what happened."

Neither Mitchell nor Puck were in the mood to talk, but they realized they wouldn't be leaving the room until some words were spoken. Puck chose to speak first...

"He's after Quinn," Puck stated, getting worked up just thinking about it, "Like I told him, I'm finally with her, I'm not gonna let some punk screw it up."

"Mr. Schue, I haven't spoken to her outside of glee rehearsals since sectionals," Mitchell admitted, "Besides, she told me she just wants to be friends, anyway. Why would I try something now?"

"Oh, c'mon," Puck rolled his eyes, "It's the oldest trick in the book. Right, Mr. Schue? Some dude gets all friendly with a girl until she finally gives in. Hell, I've done it twice!"

"Okay," Mr. Schuester sighed, "First off, Puck, I can't have you fighting a different male glee club member every week. First you picked on Kurt then Artie, then you lasted awhile until you got into it with Finn. Now..."

"So I'm just supposed to sit on my ass while he steals Quinn?"

"I'm not stealing Quinn!"

"Exactly my point," Puck said, "He's playing all innocent when he's actually not."

"Oh my god, you're frickin' paranoid."

"All right, all right, that's enough," Mr. Schuester stood, "Puck, why do you think Mitchell is after Quinn? I mean, other than previous history..."

"Well, Friday night..."

**On a Friday night date, Puck and Quinn were seated in a fast food restaurant. Not the greatest, but it was all Puck could afford at the moment. Most of the money he had was being put into savings for the baby and Quinn. Of course, that was if Quinn changed her mind about keeping it.**

**"What's wrong?" Puck asked, downing a handful of fries, "You look all lost in thought."**

**"Nothing," she answered quietly, sipping her drink, "Just... thinking about Mitchell."**

**Puck's fists clenched so tightly that his soda popped out like when Popeye tore into a can of spinach.**

"Seriously?" Mitchell asked, "That's all she said?"

"Shut up and let me finish!"

**Quinn sighed, "What do you think of him?"**

**"What do you mean?"**

**"Mitchell. What do you think of him?"**

**Puck shrugged, "I don't know, decent enough, I suppose. He can be major league annoying when he wants to be, though. He handled the whole Santana thing like a chump, which was pretty pathetic. But, he's all right, I guess. Why?"**

**Quinn shrugged her shoulders, "Just... thinking about him."**

"She said it twice," Puck pointed out, "She said she's thinking about him twice. Two times!"

"That doesn't mean anything," Mr. Schuester responded, "Granted, I can see why it would bother you to hear how your girlfriend is thinking about someone else while you're on a date together. But, honestly, it doesn't give you the right to go after Mitchell in any way."

Puck sighed, "Fine, I'm sorry. But, you can't honestly blame me. I got lucky finally being with her after all this time, and here's the new kid already working his way into her head."

"She doesn't want to be with me," Mitchell stressed the facts, "I've moved on."

Puck stood up, now just plain annoyed, and extended a hand, "Whatever. Look, we good?"

Mitchell was still a little mad, but it wasn't anything he couldn't get past, so he shook Puck's hand, "Yeah, no worries."

"That's what I like to see," Mr. Schuester breathed out of relief, "If we're going to win regionals then we need to be on the same page."

Mitchell and Puck then turned to leave the office together, but Mitchell was stopped by Mr. Schuester. When it was just the two of them alone, Mr. Schue had an important question to ask...

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Mitchell had brushed it off, "It's nothing. I mean, I can see why he got upset."

"No," Mr. Schuester shook his head, "I mean about Quinn."

"I'm fine," that wasn't the truth, "Past it."

So much for the Hello assignment.

_**:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_This was really hard to write. The initial idea was Mitchell and Rachel ending up on a comedic disaster date, but I had forgotten completely that she meets Jesse in this episode. So, that was scratched. Then I had gotten the idea from Soulless Warlock to incorporate Michelle. But then that didn't work. Although, she does have her two scenes. So, in the end, I decided on sticking with my original idea until Jesse came in. Hopefully, it's okay. The rest was just pulled out of nowhere._

_However, some good news. Production has begun on Season Two. The official title will be "Glee: A Different Point of View II" . And, here's some spoiler-free sneak peeks..._

In Episode 1, Mitchell has his own recruit into New Directions. This chapter is actually done, save for the fact that the recruit essentially has no identity at all at this point.

In Episode 2, Mitchell has an infected tooth and Dentaphobia. His Britney fantasy is the Boys Remix with a female member of New Directions. This chapter is done except for the performance.

In Episode 4, Mitchell has a meltdown during the Quinn/Sam duet.

In Episode 5, Mitchell ends up walking the halls of McKinley in a Magenta outfit.

In Episode 6, It is Mitchell who invents the Coach Beiste cool-down method.

In Episode 7, Mitchell seeks advice from Holly about Quinn.

In Episode 8, Mitchell ends up with a black eye and on the outside looking in at the wedding.

In Episode 10, Mitchell asks Michelle for help in buying each member of glee a present, even Rachel and Puck.


	16. The Power of Madonna

In comparison to other chapters, this one is on the short side. It's very to the point. I was gonna post it tomorrow, but it's finished, so here we go.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 16 - "The Power of Madonna"**

"_Don't go for second best baby. Put your love to the test. You know you know you've got to make him express how he feels. And maybe then you'll know your love is real._"

At this current moment, New Directions was in the McKinley High auditorium. The guys were all sitting in seats as the girls had begun performing a rousing rendition of Madonna's classic 'Express Yourself'.

"_You don't need diamond rings, or 18-karat gold,_" Rachel and the rest were definitely doing a great job and looking hot, but the guys didn't seem that much into it. Which reminded everyone of the boys initial discouragement with hearing that Madonna was the latest assignment.

"_Fancy cars go very fast,_" Quinn sang, moving extremely well for a pregnant girl, "_You know they never last. No, no._"

Mitchell was sitting next to Kurt, who was already into the performance, having professed his love for Madonna in the choir room. And something happened to Mitchell. Something clicked inside of him and he started getting into it. At first, simply tapping the toe of his sneakers. Then came some head bobbing, and before long, he was standing up acting silly.

Mercedes' strong voice, "_What you need is a big strong hand. To lift you to your higher ground. Make you feel like a queen on a throne. Make him love you 'til you can't come down._"

"_Don't go for second best baby. Put your love to the test. You know you know you've got to make him express how feels. And maybe then you'll know your love is real._"

"_And when you're gone he might regret it,_" uh-oh, starting to take their jackets off, "_Think about the love you once had. Try to carry on but he just won't get it._"

"TAKE IT ALL OFF!" Mitchell shouted, lost in the moment, the dudes all staring at him, "Sorry, I get carried away easily."

"Obviously," Puck remarked.

"_Express yourself!_"

"That's what I'm talking about," Mr. Schuester, Kurt and Mitchell were the only ones applauding, "All right."

**:::Guidance Counselar's Office:::**

"So, what's on your mind?"

"It's this Madonna thing, it's got me thinking about myself."

Following the performance from the girls of New Directions, Mitchell was hit with something. An idea, a thought. Maybe more like a chorus of thoughts. With 'Burning Up' blasting through the McKinley intercom system, Mitchell took it upon himself to see if Ms. Pillsbury was busy. He wanted someone to talk to that wasn't related to glee. Well... ah, whatever.

"Okay, so..." she prompted him to explain.

Mitchell took a deep breath, "Madonna is all about empowerment, right? Taking control, living the way that you want to. Being confident, not backing down, not failing. Not taking crap from anyone."

"Definitely a more masculine interpretation, but it is basically what she represents," Ms. Pillsbury agreed.

Mitchell felt like the veil had been lifted and he was seeing the world clearly for the first time, "I feel like I've been being dragged along. Like I haven't made any decisions for myself. I wanna take control, I wanna do what I wanna do."

"Mitchell," Ms. Pillsbury was hearing what he was saying, but she had a thought, "To be fair, I would say that you've done quite a few things that you've wanted to do. The glee shrine, comes to mind. Also, I heard you had quite the performance with Rachel."

Mitchell sighed, "The Rachel duet was me being dragged along. I mean, I liked doing it. It's just... I'm tired of being Mitchell. I'm tired of feeling sad over what happened with Santana, I'm tired of thinking about Quinn. I want to be closer with the guys..."

"Errr..." okay, uncomfortable.

Oh crap, "No, not like that. I mean... Okay, Quinn's been a really good friend. I've hung out with Rachel a lot, too. Of course, Santana. But, I've never really done anything with the guys."

"Ah, I see what you mean," Emma nodded, "It's somewhat ironic, though."

"Ironic?"

"Madonna is inspiring you to hang out with guys more often."

"That sounds so wrong," Mitchell tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling, "Forget the guys. I just wanna live the way I want to. How do I do that?"

"Hmm..." Ms. Pillsbury thought it over for a moment, "Well, what if you... performed a Madonna song? You said the other boys don't want to, right?"

"No," Mitchell confirmed, "Except Kurt. Well, actually, he's doing some multimedia project thingamajig with Mercedes."

"There you go," Emma capped it off, "You would be the only male member singing Madonna. What a better way to express yourself," she giggled upon realizing what she said, "Anyway, it would be the perfect opportunity for you to do what you want to."

Mitchell smiled, loving that idea.

**:::Glee Club:::**

The next day. New Directions was in the choir room, waiting for Mr. Schuester to arrive. Eventually, he entered the room full of optimism for the latest assignment involving Madonna. He set his bag down and jumped right into it...

"How are we doing on the assignment?" he asked.

Mitchell was going to speak, but Puck beat him to it, "I gotta repeat what I said before, Mr. Schue. This assignment sucks. Madonna is all about female empowerment. Sure, for girls, that's cool. But, for guys, it's a whole different story."

"Ahem," Kurt cleared his throat.

"Sorry," Puck rolled his eyes, "I mean real guys."

"Oh, that is just wrong," Kurt turned his head as Jack snickered.

Quinn looked to her boyfriend, "You know, Puck, I for one think Madonna's music can translate to males as well as females. Granted, not as much. But still."

"What if Madonna was a guy," Brittany wondered, "Would she be Mandonna?"

"Lord knows I hate to agree with Jew-Jock," Jack said, "But, he's right. This assignment is garbage, Madonna has no business being in show choir. We should focus on regionals, not personal empowerment."

"I'm surprised, Jack," Rachel looked his way, "I thought you would be up for the challenge?"

"Challenge?" he chuckled sarcastically, "Please, I'm in no way discrediting her talent, but I'll repeat what I said. She has no business in show choir."

"You fear Madonna," Tina smirked.

"Jack Harmon fears nothing," he referred to himself in the third person.

"Be that as it may," Rachel was amused, "Me thinks Jack is afraid of performing Madonna."

"Refer to my previous statement," he responded.

"Then prove it," Mitchell stood and walked over to the centre of the room, "How about a bet?"

Jack cocked a brow, intrigued.

"Hey now," even Mr. Schuester was curious, "What's this about?"

Mitchell couldn't keep the grin off his face, feeling the eyes upon him, "I was planning on doing a Madonna number."

The boys couldn't believe it, but the girls and Kurt cheered.

"Are you serious, Bambi?"

Mitchell nodded and Artie had to ask, "So, what's the bet?"

"Assuming that I'll agree to it," Jack made clear.

"We both perform Madonna songs," Mitchell explained, "Whoever does better, as voted by our friends, wins."

"Hmmm," Jack stood, pondering the proposal, "Could be interesting. Okay, I'll agree as long as if I win... New Directions must be re-named... Jack Harmon's New Directions."

"Dude, I don't like this," Finn said.

"Agreed," Mitchell nodded.

"Wait, don't we get a say in this?" Santana mentioned.

"If I win," Mitchell ignored the worries, "Then you have to call us all by our real names for the rest of the year."

Gasp! Aw, snap! The very thought was enough to send a chill down everyone's spine.

"Impossible," Jack shook his head, "It isn't by choice, I simply don't remember."

"But, you remember our nicknames," Mercedes pointed out.

"True," Jack agreed, "But, only because they're easier than real names."

"Then we'll pick new nicknames and you'll remember them," Mitchell offered.

"The Almighty Puckasauras."

"Chocolate Thunder."

"Gold Star."

"The Hottest Bitch in Lima."

"Mr. Schuester."

"Yes, Brittany?"

"No, that's what I want my nickname to be; Mr. Schuester."

"Now that frightens me," Jack shuddered, "But, if it means that my name will be plastered across every one of your chests, then so be it. Yes, our outfits will feature my name and likeness. Bambi, it's a bet."

**:::In The Halls:::**

With the sounds of Madonna's 'Frozen' blaring through the speakers, Mitchell was at his locker, putting a few books in, taking a couple out, same old routine as every other day. He was then turned around by the sudden appearance of Quinn Fabray...

"I missed you at the hospital yesterday," she said.

He shut his locker, and then leaned back against it, scratching his forehead for a second, "Just... busy with the shop."

"Yeah," she agreed, "I had a few minutes to kill, so I stopped by. Your boss said you were too busy in the back with inventory."

"Hospital gift shops don't have a lot of inventory," he told her, "So, we tend to ignore it until it piles up and we have more to sort out. It's kind of a hassle, actually."

Quinn shrugged softly, "It's no big deal. Anyway..."

Puck's words from the other day blinked in Mitchell's mind like a warning beacon of some sort. He didn't want to cause any trouble, so he figured it best to cook up a quick excuse and get out of there, "I have this thing I have to study for," way too random, "I'll talk to you later?" he didn't even wait for her reply, and started walking away.

Quinn was shocked, as Mitchell usually jumped at the chance to talk to her. Maybe that was just her ego talking, though. Still, it was surprising.

Mitchell stopped. What the hell was he doing? Running away like usual? Same old routine? No, this was the new Mitchell. This was Madonna-Mitchell. And, damn it, Madonna-Mitchell wanted to talk to Quinn Fabray. Mind made up, Mitchell turned on his heels and returned to the former cheerleader's side.

"Actually, I just remembered... I already studied," he said, a faint yet confused smile flashing on her face for a quick moment, "So, what are your plans for lunch?"

Madonna-Mitchell? Maybe it should have been Mitchell-Madonna? Which was better? Ugh, did it even matter? Of course it did. Ahhh... Mitchell shook his head free of his clustering thoughts. Clustering? Who says clustering?

Quinn gestured for him to walk with her to the cafeteria, "What's going to be your Madonna song?"

Mitchell actually had no idea, "It's a secret."

"A secret or a surprise?"

"Little bit of both, actually," he answered as they walked the halls.

"I wonder what Jack will sing?"

"Who knows? Well, other than him, I guess," he took a breath.

"I'm actually happy to see you performing a Madonna song," Quinn admitted.

"Yeah?"

Quinn nodded before elaborating, "Other than the project you worked on when all the popularity issues were going on, you haven't really done anything by yourself. Of course, you were deep-sixed by Sue for awhile there."

"All courtesy of Madonna," Mitchell replied.

"Really?" Quinn had to hear this.

They entered the cafeteria, getting in line for the food, "Like everyone's saying; Madonna's music or message is all about empowerment, right? About taking control of yourself and alls that. So, that's what I'm trying to do now. I liked the performance you guys did, and I like a lot of Madonna's music. But, I didn't wanna say anything at first. And, that's wrong. I need to be consistent, I need to stop acting like an idiot most the time. I need to get past..."

Mitchell stopped himself, but Quinn knew where he was going with it, "It still hurts, huh?"

He wasn't comfortable talking about it, but maybe he'd find some relief, "The closest we've come to talking was mine and Rachel's Hello assignment. And, that was basically just me rubbing everything in her face."

"You should talk to her," Quinn offered, "A real conversation, I mean."

"Have you talked to Finn?" Mitchell re-directed their own conversation.

She kept quiet on that, "Touche."

Only a few more students before it was their turn at the counter, "I don't miss her," Mitchell confessed quietly, "Just... Something about her... About our relationship... I just wish it was real." he chuckled a bit sarcastically, "We never had a relationship. It wasn't anything. We were always disagreeing, always on each other's backs."

They started picking out their food.

"I miss Finn," Quinn said, "Don't say anything to Puck, though. I mean, I care about Puck. I enjoy being with him. But, then there's times like..." she happened to glance over and there was Puck flirting with Brittany and a couple other Cheerios, "... Times like this one. Excusme Mitchell, I have something to take care of."

Mitchell finished selecting his food for the meal, watching as Quinn angrily stomped over to Puck. No, not this time. Impulse attached itself to Mitchell like a parasite. Time for empowerment, time to take life by the horns. Time to take control and do what he wanted to do.

The music started, the beat kicking in.

Mitchell set everything down and followed Quinn through the cafeteria, "_Don't put me off 'cause I'm on fire. And I can't quench my desire. Don't you know that I'm burning up for your love._" Quinn hadn't turned around yet, not even anyone realized what was going on, either, "_You're not convinced that that is enough. I put myself in this position. And I deserve the imposition._"

Mitchell's voice grew a bit louder, a bit more passionate, as did his mannerisms, "_But you don't even know I'm alive! And this pounding in my heart just won't die. I'm burning up._"

"_Who-o-oah,_" Quinn finally turned around, just before arriving at Puck and the cheerleaders, "_I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. For your love!_"

By this time, other students were noticing. Despite that, Quinn casted it aside and turned her attention back to her overly flirtatious boyfriend. Mitchell wasn't ready to quit just yet, though, "_You're always closing your door. Well that only makes me want you more!_" she gently grabbed her arm, turned her around and pulled her away from Puck, maybe in more ways than just one.

He lead her through the crowds, people starting to get into the music, "_And day and night I cry for your love. You're not convinced that that is enough._" he looked into her eyes with the best seductive look he could muster, "_To justify my wanting you. Now tell me what you want me to do._"

She turned back to Puckerman one more time, reaching a hand in his direction, though it seemed like she were fighting the urge to join Mitchell, "_I'm not blind and I know! That you want to want to me, but you can't let go_."

Mitchell moved in close before reining her back, "_Come on, let go!_"

By this point, other members of New Directions had joined in. Mercedes, Tina, Mike, Matt, Rachel, Artie and even Finn, and the tables had been cleared in the middle of the cafeteria. The other members started singing with Mitchell, backing him up perfectly, "_I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. For your love!_"

Now Mitchell and Quinn were in the middle of everything, all attention - both positive and negative - centered on them as Mitchell really got into it, dropping to his knees, "_Do you wanna see me down on my knees?_" then while on his knees, he laid back, "_Or bending backwards now would you be pleased?_" he hopped back up to his feet, Quinn blushing by this point, but the smile growing on her face, "_Unlike the others, I'd do anything thing. I'm not the same, I have no shame,_" he took some steps back, Tina, Mike, Matt and now Brittany backing him up as dancers, "_I'M ON FIRE!_"

Dance break, Mitchell going as good as he could, noting he'd be sore in the morning, if he even made it through without breaking a leg. He should have just stepped aside and let the professionals take care of it, but no. He had to do it. It had to be him. Quinn even joined in a little, applauding as she did so.

"_Oooohhh!_" Mitchell took it home, Mercedes and Tina right beside him, "_I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. For your love!_"

Mitchell danced a little more as the others took over singing duties for a few, "_I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love. I'm burning up, burning up for your love._"

Mitchell took Quinn by the hands, desperately battling his lungs that were out of breath, the sweat going down his face, the ache in his legs and feet, "_You know you got me burning up baby. You know you got me burning up baby._"

He moved in close, right in front of her, inches away, "_Burning up for your love. Burning up for your love!_"

Accidentally, or maybe more so accidentally on purpose, Mitchell and Quinn were so close that they could feel each other breathe. Of course, it didn't help matters that Mitchell was a chronic mouth-breather to begin with.

"So," Mitchell had to ask, "Can I count on your vote?"

"I think..."

"You're done, Mason!" Puck pushed his way through the lunch crowd, "I told you to back off!"

"You were just flirting with cheerleaders!" Mitchell retaliated.

While she had to admit it was pretty hot to watch two guys prepare to fight over her, Quinn also had to admit that it was wrong, "Stop!" she moved in-between them, "Puck, this is just a show for Mitchell's assignment and the bet with Jack."

"Bullshit."

"We had to pull out all the stops," Quinn designed the lie, "Honestly, would you rather have Jack win and have us be at his mercy for regionals?"

A little sting inside Mitchell's chest, hearing Quinn lie about this. Lie like it didn't mean anything, like she didn't feel something when they were so close.

Puck calmed himself down, "Fine, but I'm not gonna tell you again, Mitchell. Stay away from her!"

Quinn looked at Puck, "Tell him again? Mitchell, did he tell you to stay away from me?"

No point in hiding the truth now, "Ask Mr. Schue."

Quinn glared at Puck, "Are you that insecure? No, you know what, don't answer that. We're done. We are not a couple anymore. I'm not going through this anymore."

"Wait," Puck reached for her.

"No!"

"Quinn," so did Mitchell.

"Stay away from me, Mitchell. I'm done with the boy drama," Quinn was through, tears building in her eyes, "All I wanted was a steady boyfriend and best friend to help me through what I'm going through. But, I can see now that that was too much to ask of you two. My boyfriend couldn't keep his hands on me and my best friend can't seem to keep his off of me."

And she left the cafeteria. No one knowing what to say, just kind of standing around until finally a lunch lady broke the ice...

"Uhh... Which one of you is gonna move the tables back where they belong?"

Puck and Mitchell just stared at each other like two MMA fighters ready to go at it in the octagon.

**:::Glee Club:::**

The next New Directions meeting was a sour one, to say the least. Quinn sat with Mercedes, Kurt and Tina on the far left side, while Puck sat on the far right and Mitchell was in the top middle. Making matters all the more weird was Rachel, Finn and Santana not wanting to sit close together either. Just a rumor, but apparently their respective dates didn't go as planned. Or maybe, that was the problem... that they did.

The time for judging who would win the Madonna-Off had come. Earlier in the day, Jack had performed a very good rendition of 'Crazy for You'. However, as the time for voting came, Jack took it upon himself to address his fellow club members...

"In light of the current lack of any strand of positive energy in this club at the moment, I've come to a conclusion that I would now like to present to Bambi," he gestured to Mitchell.

"What?" Mitchell felt like crap ran over not just twice, but three times. Possibly four. Maybe even five if he ended up losing the bet.

"Draw," Jack offered.

Rachel was in utter shock, "Jack Harmon offering a draw?"

"Correct."

"What's the catch?" Mitchell needed to know before agreeing to anything.

Jack took a deep breath, "I realize how hard it is for any of you to accept that this is me being genuine. But, it is. Obviously, nobody is in the mood for something like this. And, it wouldn't be fair to either of us if you voted now."

"No catch?" Finn wondered.

Jack shook his head.

"Deal," Mitchell spoke up.

Jack nodded his head and returned to his seat next to Rachel. Meanwhile, Mr. Schuester went out of the choir room for a quick minute.

"That was very nice of you, Jack," Rachel whispered.

"We're divided enough as it is right now, voting over something would just make it all the worse."

And speaking of making things all the worse...

Mr. Schuester walked into the glee club with its newest member.

Jesse St. James!

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

We're steamrolling to the end, people. Steamrolling! I used Madonna's message of female empowerment (I think I used that word thirty times in this chapter) and warped it into motivation for Mitchell to finally put a move on Quinn. However, in pure Mitchell Mason fashion... It backfired hard. As far as the song Mitchell performed at lunch, it was originally designed for Jesse in the real show. So, it was an easy fit. Hopefully it came out good, I had more choreography in mind, but I didn't know how to describe it well enough. For example, the dance. Song's easy enough to find on youtube if need be.

Anyway, Mitchell is in need for some serious redemption. Will he find any in "Home"?


	17. Home

Happy Easter to those who celebrate the holiday. Otherwise, I hope you have a good weekend.

As far as the chapter, it's another on the short side.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 17- "Home"**

Imagine Mitchell's surprise when his day at school started off with finding an envelope attached right to his locker. The handwriting obviously belonged to Quinn Fabray, so Mitchell was eager to open it up and start reading. They hadn't talked since the fiasco that was Madonna in the lunch room. So, he was hopeful this meant something positive. A step forward. If nothing else, maybe he would have the chance to apologize.

_Mitchell,_

_We need to talk in private. Meet me today behind the bleachers on the east side of the field._

_Quinn_

All right, definitely a step in the right direction. Unless, of course, she was planning on killing him. That would suck. That would really suck, actually. Ahhh... Stop thinking about stupid things.

With a little more optimism than before, Mitchell tucked the envelope into his backpack and turned to start on the walk to his first class of the day. As luck would have it, there was Sue Sylvester in all her track suit glory...

"Ah, Stinky the Lamb, it's been awhile," classic Sue, "Can't say I missed you, though."

"Coach Sylvester," he greeted in an apprehensive tone of voice.

"Isn't that something?" she smiled proudly, "You're afraid of me."

"Is there something you want?"

"Yes," she said, "I can't seem to find that highly flammable curley-haired Director that for some unfathomable reason, you look up to."

Where was she going with this?

"Anyway, you're going to pass something along for me. Tell him this; I've secured exclusivity rights to the auditorium for the Cheerios to practice. Tell him, it's going to be an entire week before you bunch of mouth-breathers are allowed to germ it up."

Mitchell was going to respond, but was stopped before he could...

"And by germ it up, I mean because the glee club's singing stinks so bad that there's no possible way that it couldn't be producing what I can only imagine is highly contagious bacteria. Perhaps, a fungus of some sort will grow."

That was really over the top and uncalled for.

"We need the auditorium for Regionals," Mitchell spoke up, "Rehearsals are more important than ever."

"True, I understand that. But, let's face facts, Stinky. Cheerios are going for Nationals. Not only that, but we are the odds-on favorite. Our practices are a lot more vital and important, don't you think?"

"I think..."

"It doesn't matter what you think!"

Sue Sylvester quoting The Rock?

"Don't look at me like that," she took offense, "Where do you think he got that from? Not to mention..." she pointed to her eyebrow, which then lifted perfectly, "_This_!"

Mitchell just froze.

**:::Teacher's Lounge:::**

Mitchell had managed to catch up with the Director of New Directions and relayed the information that he was ordered to do so by the Cheerios coach Sue Sylvester. And, while doing so, he was told by Mr. Schuester to not tell anyone else. As he wanted to get to the bottom of it first...

"Sue!" Mr. Schuester entered the teacher's lounge, fresh off hearing the news, "We need to talk right now!"

"Good to know Stinky followed orders," Sue smiled smugly.

"Yeah, Mitchell told me, and then we checked it out and the auditorium is padlocked!" Will was fuming.

"Well, I've got the entire week booked solid, William," she explained.

The anger was not subsiding, "You have it it locked up like something out of medeival times! I mean, are the chains really necessary, Sue?"

"Sadly, yes," she answered, "To be completely honest with you, I don't trust you or those students. At any moment, they could produce a sledgehammer, break down the doors and bust out in song while doing so. Makes me sick just thinking about it."

"Sue..."

"You listen to me, Gel-head," she was stern, "That is just something that Sue Sylvester cannot allow."

"This is outrageous," he was in disbelief, "I can't believe you, Sue."

"Got a big magazine feature coming up," she was calm and casual, business as usual, "And it's a little chilly for my girls to be practicing outdoors."

"Fine. Well, let's just see what Figgins has to say about this."

Sue didn't budge, not worried one single bit, "Oh, I'm sure Figgins will just mumble nervously and then pretend to take a call. After all, he does fear The Sue. Wanna know why? Well... It just so happens that I'm in the process of blackmailing him."

**:::Glee Club:::**

Mitchell didn't spill the beans on the auditorium. Though, it seemed like a few of the students had already figured out something was going om. Nevertheless, the end of this particular glee meeting had come and it was time for Mr. Schuester to become the bearer of bad news...

"Um, all right, I have one final announcement before we all leave today," Mr. Schue said, Mitchell preparing for the barrage, "We can't use the auditorium for the next week and possibly longer."

"That's garbage!" Finn quickly piped up, "How are we supposed to practice for Regionals without the auditorium?"

"Sue has the space designated for the Cheerios to practice for Nationals," Mr. Schue explained, and even Santana and Brittany were upset, "There's nothing I can do."

"An auditorium provides different levels of fine-tuning that a choir room doesn't," Jesse St. James took the chance to speak, "If we're going to topple my former cohorts in Vocal Adrenaline, we need that space."

"I agree one-hundred percent!" Rachel chimed in, everyone rolling their eyes at her agreeing with Jesse St. James. And, what was up with that name, anyway?

"This isn't fair," Mitchell said, "What are we supposed to do now?"

"I recommend a sit-in!" Rachel.

"I recommend we torch the place."

"No," Mr. Schuester calmed them down, "Look, we've all faced adversity before and come out stronger on the other end. We're just going to have to do that again. Now, I'm gonna check out a few off-site locations that maybe we can use just for the week."

"Listen," he emphasized his next words, "I promise I'll find us a new home."

**:::The Bleachers:::**

"What the hell are you doing here!"

Mitchell had just arrived at the destination described to him by Quinn. And, much to his disappointed surprise, there was no sign of the former head cheerleader anywhere. But, there was a Noah Puckerman, who was equally as surprised, but also very angry.

"You think this is a funny joke?" Puck took a step or two close to Mitchell, fists clenched tightly, ready for a fight.

"Not funny at all," Mitchell took a step back, "Look, I'm just here because of this," he pulled out the short letter.

Puck let out an irritated sigh as he did the same thing, "Looks like we've been set-up."

Mitchell took a deep breath, the situation starting to sink in as he realized what it was about, "She wants us to talk."

"Duh!" Puck crumbled up the note and tossed it.

Time for Mitchell to make a bold move, "If she did this, then it must mean that she's not done with either of us."

"Dude," Puck was still acting aggressively, "Face facts, she's not going to be with you."

"Yeah, and right now, she's not with you, either," a valid point.

Puck shook his head, "It's not worth all this."

"What do you mean?"

"I like Quinn. I mean, I like her a lot. But, this is stupid," Puck was facing facts, "I got into a fight with my best friend," Finn, "Get in trouble for sexting with Santana. Can't talk to other girls, and now I'm under the bleachers with you. Seriously, it's getting ridiculous."

"Why did you sext with Santana, anyway?" Mitchell wanted to know, "Why flirt with other girls? If you like her as much as..."

"Mason, this is high school," very obvious, "It's not real life. You can't expect me to grow up in the blink of an eye. I totally get that I look like I'm almost thirty, but I'm not. I'm a kid, I do stupid things. Hell, Quinn did something stupid when she cheated on Finn to be with me."

"You like her," Mitchell saw an opportunity to genuinely help Quinn without trying to make himself look better in the meantime, "If you didn't like her, you would have just casted her aside. So, don't talk to girls. Don't start fights, and don't say insensitive things. You know, like... 'not wanting to drive with her because the extra weight will use up more gas.'"

"That's not an insult," Puck said, "That's just physics or whatever."

Okay, time to dig right to the root of the problem, "We both miss Quinn," that they could agree on, "She must miss us too if she's doing this to get us to talk. So, all right, what about a truce?"

"Truce?" Puck repeated.

Mitchell reached an open hand toward Puck, "It's what she wants. I mean, it doesn't mean we'll instantly be back to meaning what we meant to her. But, it's gotta be a start."

Puck had to admit that that made sense. He did miss hanging out with Quinn. It was pretty sad when they lived together and barely talked at all. "Okay dude, but you better not say anything about this to anyone else. My rep is already damaged enough."

"Cool," and they shook hands.

In the background, hidden from the two boys, Quinn watched with a pleased expression.

**:::Glee Club:::**

So, turned out that Puck and Mitchell calling a truce was exactly what Quinn wanted. The both of them were rewarded with hello's and good mornings. Not much more than that. But, by this point, they were both happy to just have that. Meanwhile, it seemed that Mr. William Schuester had found his New Directions a new home. But, it wasn't anything they were expecting...

"A roller rink?" had Tina heard him right?

Santana had something to say, "Weren't those outlawed in, like, 1981 for being totally lame?"

"Come on guys, where's your sense of adventure?" Mr. Schue's response, "I think this is a great opportunity for us to have some fun."

"Fun?" Jack questioned the very idea, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but it's virtually impossible to have fun at a roller rink."

Mr. Schuester wanted to change their opinions, "Hear me out; We're not getting the auditorium back right away, so why not just make the most of it? Why not relieve some of the stress of Regionals with just losing yourselves at the rink for a couple hours here and there?"

"I lost myself in the woods for a couple hours one time," Brittany said, "It wasn't fun until the animals started talking to me."

Wow.

"The space is great, plenty of room," Mr. Schuester continued explaining the rink, "And April is giving it to us to practice in for free."

"I'm with Mr. Schue," Mitchell stood up, seeing this as a good idea, "We might as well make the most of it, right?"

"Are you insane?" Jack asked, then looked to the rest, "Clearly, he's insane."

"And he's also never been to a roller rink," Santana said, "So, he has no idea what he's talking about."

"Not true."

"You've been?"

"Okay, no."

Puck saw a chance to impress Quinn a little, and took it by the horns, "I have an idea. Let's send Mitchell out for some scouting."

Mr. Schuester was curious. As was Quinn.

Mitchell snapped his fingers, "I like how you think, Puckerman," Mitchell moved down the seats, everyone a little confused by this sudden buddy-buddy talk between the two, "I'll go to April's roller rink. And, check it out for myself."

**:::The Roller Rink:::**

You wanna know the truth? Walking into the roller rink, Mitchell was feeling a little fear. He had never scouted a location before. He felt some pressure. He also wondered if April Rhodes would recognize him at all. Probably not, but that would be all the better, anyway.

"Well, is it my birthday this week or what?" April had the microphone, "Ladies and gentlemen, one of my former friends in New Directions, Mitchell Marcus Mason!"

Holy freakin' crap!

"Come up here," she flexed a finger, catching Mitchell off-guard, and all but putting the fear of God into him, "Duet time! C'mon!"

Oh my god, had Mitchell fallen asleep? Was he actually in bed dreaming this? It was a nightmare. He was not comfortable performing a duet with her. Although, to be fair, he wouldn't want to sing a duet with anyone at a roller rink. The glee club was right, this whole thing was a bad idea. Ugh, why didn't he listen?

However, there he was walking to the stage set-up, giving in to April Rhodes and complying with the request of a duet. Oh man, he needed to learn how to say no.

"I heard you were coming."

Damn you, Mr. Schue!

"So, I prepared a little somethin' somethin'," she said, but could tell he wasn't sure about it, "Oh, don't be shy. Might learn a thing or two," she grabbed an extra microphone and tossed it to him, which he dropped with an echoing sound and feedback that nearly drove everyone out, "Oh, butterfingers! Not a football player, huh? That's all right, neither was I!"

She laughed, and somehow it spread to Mitchell and he did the same.

"There ya go, that's better. Dude, you is tense, gotta loosen up," she was a riot, "So, whatcha feel like singin'?"

Mitchell didn't know. Couldn't really think straight. The whole situation was overwhelming. The lights, the music, the skating, the people, April Rhodes. Honestly, it felt like he was about to pass out.

April laughed, "Aw, look at that face. You look like you just had a bad veggie and don't know where to throw-up. Have a seat, I'm just pullin' your leg," then she addressed everyone else, "I'll be back in five people, gotta say hello to the Mitchell."

Wow, okay, one crisis diverted. Feeling relieved, Mitchell walked over to one of the tables, keeping his eyes moving as he looked around.

"Whatcha drinkin'?" April asked, taking a sip of her weapon of choice.

Mitchell gulped.

She laughed more, "Gotcha again! Too easy, and too much fun. You haven't spoken a word and I'm havin' a blast with you!"

Mitchell chuckled, feeling nervous again.

"So, I heard that this ol' place isn't what you kids were hoping for?"

He shrugged, shaking his head, "No offense, but it's not..."

"Your auditorium," she could see their point, "Can't say I disagree. Man, that bitch gets away with too much, huh?"

Another shrug.

"Mitchell, you have got to relax," this kid was wired too tight, "Look at you, you're like a rubber band that's about to snap! Tell me, cutey, you got a girlfriend?"

"Nah."

April leaned, "You want one?" she asked rather seductively.

His heart literally stopped.

"HA!" April let out a high-pitched laugh and a snort, slapping the table, "THAT FACE! I love it!"

Mitchell was in the midst of a roller-coaster ride that he was not at all prepared for.

"Don't worry, I'm just joking," then her leg crept close to his under the table, "Or am I?"

Mitchell fell out of his chair.

April burst into another fit of laughter, "Oh lord, I could do this all night!"

Mitchell composed himself and sat back down, not bothering to pull his chair close to the table. Better safe than sorry.

"Okay, all right, verdict time," she got serious, "Let me know what you think of the place. Keep in mind, there's a special on chicken wings Wednesday. We call it... Wednesday Wing Nights."

By this point, Mitchell just wanted to get the hell out of there, "It's perfect."

**:::McKinley Cafeteria:::**

Mind still reeling from his experience with April Rhodes, fighting to get the haunting yet awesome nightmare he had last night out of his head, Mitchell was seated with Artie, Tina and Mercedes for lunch.

"I tell ya man, it was wild," Mitchell whispered to Artie, "And I'm not sure in a good way."

Meanwhile, it was obvious to everyone at the table that Mercedes was suffering. She had been told my Coach Sylvester that she needed to lose some serious weight if she wanted to stay on the squad. Ever since, Mercedes had been starving herself as best she could. Which, was far from the healthy thing to do.

"At least have the other half of my peppermint patty?" Tina asked, worried for her friend.

"Hell no, I've been working my ass off - hopefully literally - to lose weight," Mercedes answered, visibly weak, "I'm not going to screw it up now by putting that junk in my body."

"Why are you doing this?" Artie was also worried, "We like you no matter how you look."

"Yeah, we're your friends no matter what," Mitchell followed, "We got your back."

"Those shakes are really unhealthy," Tina gestured to the Sue Sylvester master-cleanse.

"They also don't really work," Artie added, "As soon as you go off them, you immediately gain back the weight you lost."

"It's not worth it, Mercedes," Mitchell said.

Mercedes then sprang to life, shouting at all three of them "You know what? I don't want to hear it! You have no idea how much I'm sacrificing to be a Cheerio, to look fantastic. To finally fit in this damn school!"

"We're just trying to look out for you," Tina said.

"We just want you to be healthy," Artie said.

Mitchell summed it up, "It's not worth being sick."

All the while, it seemed that Mercedes was seeing them differently somehow, "Stop getting all up in my face, telling me what I can and cannot do. And I'm really hungry, so stop trying to get me to eat you!"

"Say what now?"

"Hold up, did she just say she wanted to eat us?"

"Man, we need our auditorium back."

**:::The Gym:::**

The gymnasium was filling for the Cheerios big performance. Sue Sylvester had promised something along the lines of when Kurt and Mercedes took the lead for the Madonna song. Wanting to support them both, Mitchell got in line early to make sure he had a front row seat.

While waiting to be let in, he was tapped on the shoulder. He turned to find Quinn looking as pretty as ever before...

"Hey," she greeted pleasantly.

Expecting nothing more, he responded with a polite smile and turned back around. Then came another tap, for which he was infinitely thankful of.

"The truce was your idea," she said, which surprised Mitchell as he didn't expect Puck to pass off credit onto him.

"He told you?"

**"So, I told him... Dude, we need a truce," Puck explained a lie to Quinn as they sat next to each other in class, "He totally didn't want to. But then I was like... It's what Quinn wants."**

**She didn't believe that for a second, so she decided on a little harmless test, "A truce? Oh my god, that is so stupid. This isn't the end of a war."**

**"I knew it! I knew that's not what you wanted. But nah, he wouldn't listen to anything I had to say."**

**"The truce between you guys wasn't your idea?"**

**"No, course not."**

**And now that she had the truth, "Ugh! I cannot believe you!" she walked away.**

**"Wait," Puck was alone, "What the hell just happened?"**

Mitchell and Quinn took a seat on the floor, just in front of the microphone stand. Mitchell felt the need to finally get that apology out, now that she was listening, "I'm sorry about the Madonna song, I don't know what came over me. I totally over-stepped the boundaries, it was wrong. I'm really sorry, and I know it's asking a lot, but I'd really like it if we were friends again."

"You're not going to ask me out?"

Mitchell was thrown for a loop with that reply, "Uhh... umm... I..."

"I mean, I am officially single now."

Had his moment come? But then he realized something. This was a test. At the hospital, she said that she only wanted to be friends. That what she needed more than anything was a friend. So, even though it literally took every fiber of his being to do so, Mitchell didn't ask her out.

"Being friends is less complicated, right?" he couldn't believe he just said that, but it felt good... felt right.

"Yeah," she agreed, the gymnasium just about filled to capacity.

The lights went low and the Cheerios squad stepped out onto the floor, Kurt nonchalantly waving to his friends in glee. They all took to their positions, but someone was missing. Where was Mercedes? Quinn and Mitchell grew concerned until they finally saw her make her entrance, stepping up to the microphone stand.

"Hey, guys, I'm Mercedes Jones," she looked more nervous than ever before, "So, most of you know that the Cheerios are about perfection and winning. You know, looking hot and being popular. Well, I think that we should be about something different."

She hesitated before going any further, "How many of you at this school feel fat?"

Quinn raised her hand.

"How many of you feel like maybe you're not worth very much?"

Mitchell raised his hand.

"Or you feel ugly? Or you have too many pimples and not enough friends?"

More people raised their hands, Tina included.

"Well, I felt all those things about myself at one time or another. Hell, I felt most of those things about myself today. And that just ain't right. And we've got something to say about it. And, if you like what we have to say... come down here and sing it with us."

Then Mercedes rolled through what Mitchell thought was her best performance to date. She hit that ball not only over the wall, but right out of the stadium. Never had 'Beautiful' been sung so beautifully, with such raw emotion and feeling.

Eventually, Quinn stood up, bringing Mitchell along with her and grabbing Puck as well. Pretty soon, all the glee kids were standing together. They were unified as one, with Mercedes leading them in a stand against all the negativity that maybe one shining day would no longer have its place in the world. Maybe we all could be looked at and treated equally. No matter your weight, your race, whether or not you had good looks.

Maybe one day...

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I couldn't help but end on that note. It was one of my favorite performances from the show. So I ended there. As far as what happened when April Rhodes came back around... We can safely assume that Mitchell avoided her like the plague. Probably hid in the bathroom or something. That scene at the roller rink was fun to write. Hopefully I didn't over-do it, though. I almost did a Mitchell/April duet. I mean, I'm talking so close that I was set to pick out songs. But, nothing spoke to me, so I decided against it.

One more thing, hopefully I'm not making Puck look like a complete jerk. I'm not trying to. It probably looks like I am, but I'm not.

I'm gonna start working on Bad Reputation right after positing this. So, with any luck, it'll be up soon.


	18. Bad Reputation

I've decided to post Bad Reputation and Laryngitis together. I wrote them together, so it seemed fitting. Plus, Bad Reputation is especially on the short and sucky side. And, I wanted to make up for that. Laryngitis is a much better chapter.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 18 - "Bad Reputation"**

HYSTERICAL!

Mitchell was laughing so bad that he ended up getting the hiccups. Right there in front of his own two eyes was a video of Sue Sylvester sweating it out to Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical'. Kurt had snuck it out of her office when she sent him to retrieve one of her hormone injections. Just when Mitchell thought this couldn't get any better... He, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie and Tina were joined by Finn, Rachel and Jesse St. James...

"What's so funny?" Finn was curious.

Rachel was paranoid, "You aren't watching that video of me falling off stage at my first Tiny Tots Beauty Pageant, are you?"

Kurt dismissed that right away, "Oh please, that was Carrot-Top funny compared to this comedic tour de force."

Mitchell was too busy laughing to say anything.

"That's Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical'," Jesse said, "It was pretty groundbreaking subject matter at the time considering its depiction of fluid sexuality."

"Wait a second," Finn started connecting the dots, which made Mitchell laugh all the more, "That's not Olivia Newton-John. That's - holy shit - That's Sue sylvester! Where did you get this?"

Kurt spilled the beans, "I can tell you that I certainly did not steal it from her locked file cabinet yesterday when she sent me back to her office to get her hormone replacement injection during Cheerios practice."

"Wait," Artie noticed something, "Did she just do the cabbage patch?"

"This is insane," Mitchell wiped his eyes, "I'm crying, I got tears in my eyes from laughing."

Finn had seen enough, "Screw it, I'm posting this on YouTube."

"Oh no no no," Rachel didn't like that idea, "Do you think that's a good idea? She might kill us."

Mercedes took a quick break from laughing to pass her opinion along, "Oh, let her get a taste of some of the humiliation she put us through."

Surprisingly, Jesse agreed wholeheartedly, "I'm with Finn. You guys need to stop being such asses and start being bad-asses."

Finn grabbed the laptop, "Ten bucks says it goes viral by lunch."

"Instant classic!" Mitchell exclaimed, literally overjoyed.

**:::In The Halls:::**

Mitchell walked the halls to his next class, giggling to himself like a kid on Christmas as the images of the video stayed in his head. Nothing could spoil this good mood. That's when the boy turned a corner and found an interesting sheet of paper taped to the wall.

"Glist?" he read to himself, "Who's hot - Who's not?"

Wait... What was this?

It was like a rankings ladder of all the Glee Club members. He was ranked number five with 31 points.

**:::Glee Club:::**

The following Glee meeting in the choir room seemed destined to be an eventful one. The Glist was common knowledge now. And while all the sheets had been torn down and/or confiscated, the rankings were burned into everyone's memories. As to be expected, Mr. Schuester was not happy, and he explained that there could be serious consequences if the perpetrator didn't come forward and confess to Principal Figgins.

"C'mon guys, this is serious. I need to know and I need to know right now," Mr. Schuester had one of the sheets in his right hand, "Who did it?"

No one came forward with the confession.

"You don't realize how serious this is," he tried to hit the point home, "Principal Figgins is threatening to disband the club. We are staring the end directly in the face. The guilty party has got to come forward."

"Why are we playing this game?" Santana spoke up, "We all know who did it. It was Puck!"

"Back off, I didn't do squat."

"Then why is your girlfriend first on the Glist?" Tina raised an interesting question.

"I'm not his girlfriend," Quinn interrupted.

"Besides the point," Rachel's turn, "More importantly, why am I last? Aside from the fact that I refused to put out for you."

"Okay, enough!" Mr. Schuester was in no mood, "No one is accusing anyone of anything. But Puck, seriously, did you do it?"

"I already said no," the jock got defensive, "I'm a delinquent, sure. I like setting stuff on fire and beating up people I don't know. I own that. But, I'm not a liar."

"So then, who did?" Kurt wondered.

"Look at who stands to gain the most," Puck accused someone, "Obviously, it was Mitchell."

"Seriously, dude?" Mitchell just scoffed, "I thought we were past being rivals."

"Why would Mitchell do it?" Kurt stood up for his friend, "And then only rank himself number five? That makes no sense."

"Settle down," Mr. Schuester again, "Look, between this and posting Coach Sylvester's personal video on YouTube, you guys are getting a pretty bad reputation."

"Why is that a bad thing?" Artie had a point, "Maybe if we seem more dangerous, people would stop flushing my glasses down the toilet."

Mr. Schue started passing out song sheets, "Guys, I realize that things are hard right now. I get it. You're under a lot of pressure lately with Regionals coming up. And, I also realize that winning Sectionals hasn't had the positive effect on your popularity that a lot of you thought it would."

"Popularity isn't important," Mitchell reminded them all.

"Shut up!" Santana reminded him that no one cared anymore.

"Becoming what you despise is not the answer," Mr. Schuester finished passing them out.

"This song is flat-out wack!" Mercedes wasn't happy with the choice, which everyone else seemed to share her sentiment.

"No, it's not," Mr. Schuester had a good idea for this week's assignment, "It's a terrific song on a long list of top hits that because of timing or some bad press, has become a joke. And, just like you guys, it's time to start rehabilitating its bad reputation."

"So," now time to announce their homework, "The assignment for the week is for all of you to find songs like this, mine them for what works and make them great again. And then, hopefully, you can apply this musical lesson to your own lives."

"This song should be arrested for the crime of sucking," Jesse with the call.

"He's right, Mr. Schue," Mitchell found himself in agreement with Mr. St. James, "Vanilla Ice sucks. Like, really sucks."

"You wanna bet?" Mr. Schue had something up his sleeve.

The next thing anyone knew, they were dancing and having a great time. By the end of the song, it was very safe to say that not only had all their minds been changed, but the song certainly did not suck.

**:::School Library:::**

Using his free period to study for a couple exams that were fast approaching, Mitchell was in the library reading over notes to himself. He was distracted, though. His mind kept drifting to the recent talks about bad reputations and the Glist. Not to mention, the Glee assignment. After thinking about these things, he found himself thinking about something else.

Earlier in the school year, there was a lot of talk about popularity. Of course, he had his own run with popularity that lasted awhile. But, ultimately wasn't meant to be. It was himself putting an end to it, though. Yet, despite honestly believing that popularity wasn't important, there was no denying that his top five position on the Glist had helped his day to day routine at McKinley.

No Slushee Facials, which was awesome. Also, he hadn't been shoved by Karofsky, either. There were other minor instances here and there, but nothing else truly noteworthy. They were just little things that added to a bigger picture. The Glist was helping his reputation and in turn his popularity was elevating because of it. Which, in the end, lead to an easier life at school.

Maybe it wasn't so much if you were popular or not, if you had a bad reputation or not. Maybe it was all in how you handled yourself during the rise and falls. Ugh, didn't seem that much different than before when Quinn and Finn were getting slushee'd.

This was dumb. Why even worry yourself with all this nonsense? In the end, it didn't matter. Which was another thing that reminded him of what he did before during the popularity woes. Mitchell had his friends now, felt like he was part of something. Forget all the high school popularity and reputation crap. It didn't matter. No, scratch that. It wasn't that it didn't matter. It was more like...

"_I don't give a damn about my reputation!_" Mitchell sprang into song, tossing his books aside and leaving the library, ignoring the librarian and students telling him to be quiet, "_You're living in the past, it's a new generation! A boy can do what he wants to do and that's what I'm gonna do! And I don't give a damn about my bad reputation!_"

Mitchell was then out in the hall, joined by Cheerios members wearing modified outfits. They looked more... punk rock. The skirts were red and black plaid with fashionable leather belts, the tops were full black, and they all wore boots, also different hairstyles. Santana and Brittany lead the rest, right behind Mitchell...

The Cheerios sang back-up, "_Oh no no no no no no no no. Not me, no no no no no no no._"

"_And I don't give a damn about my reputation!_" while leading them through the halls, Mitchell grabbed a Glist sheet, ripping it off the wall, crumpling it into a ball and tossing it over his shoulder into a trash bin, "_Never said I wanted to improve my station!_"

They marched by Sue Sylvester's office, the cheerleading coach fit to be tied...

"_And I'm only doin' good when I'm havin' fun. And I don't have to please no one!_" Mitchell stayed the course, his singing bleeding with pure punk rock attitude and rebellion, "_And I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation!_"

The punk rock Cheerios again, "_Oh no no no no no no no. Not me! Me me me me me me."_

"_I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation!_" Mitchell shrugged off some jocks, still walking the halls with his troop behind him, "_Now I'm not afraid of any deviation_," then he came face to face with Karofsky, not backing down, singing right in his face, "_And I don't really care if ya think I'm strange, I ain't gonna change!_"

Next, he walked by where the principal's office was, "_And I'm never gonna care 'bout my bad reputation!_"

"_Oh no no no no no no no. Not me! Me me me me me me me._"

"C'mon girls!" Mitchell waved a hand, then Santana and Brittany followed him into the choir room where the rest of New Directions was awaiting them...

"_And I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation! The world's in trouble, there's no communication! And everyone can say what they want to say. It never gets better anyway. So, why should I care 'bout my bad reputation, anyway,_"

Santana and Brittany, "_Oh no no no no no no no. Not me! Me me me me me me me me._"

Mitchell turned to Mr. Schuester, the rest of the club starting to get into it, "_I don't give a damn 'bout my bad reputation! You're livin' in the past, it's a new generation!_"

Then Mitchell turned to the rest, jumping into the seats, arms stretched out, "_And I only feel good when I got no pain, and that's how I'm gonna stay! AND I DON'T GIVE A DAMN 'BOUT MY BAD REPUTATION!_"

Then he jumped down to the floor, losing his footing and landing awkwardly, yet managing to to rise right back up, "_Oh no no no no no no no. Not me! Me me me me me me me. Not me!"_

"_NOT MEEEEEEEEE!_" he screamed as the song finished, the punk rock versions of Santana and Brittany each with a hand on either shoulder.

Most of New Directions liked it. But, not everyone. Jack wasn't a fan, and neither was Rachel, Jesse or Kurt. Everyone else seemed to get into it at least a little.

"Where'd you get those costumes?" Tina asked Santana and Brittany.

"We keep 'em around for when we roleplay," Santana answered simply.

Jack raised his hand immediately, "I change my vote, I'm in favor of the performance. Preferably with an encore that excludes Bambi."

Mr. Schuester wasn't into it, "I'm gonna be honest," he came right out with the opinion, "I guess I like the performance. But, that's not what the assignment was. And, Mitchell, this isn't the first time you've skated by. The Mash-Up thing was different, but the Hell-O assignment and this one now are showing me a lack of dedication."

"So, I'm, like, failing?" Mitchell asked.

"No," Mr. Schuester wasn't going to do that, "But, the next assignment that comes up... I want you to really come through on it. If the assignment is a goodbye song, then do a goodbye song. If it's to have a song with the word blue in it, then pick one with the word blue in it. You're creative, Mitchell. But, you need some more focus and dedication."

Okay, that made sense, Mitchell was willing to accept that, "Okay, I will Mr. Schuester."

"Good," school bell rang, "You're all dismissed. But, remember, the assignment is about rehabilitating songs with bad reputations. The assignment isn't songs with the words bad reputation in the title."

Mitchell grabbed his backpack and started out, but was stopped by Quinn, "You really don't care about popularity anymore?"

Mitchell shrugged, setting his pack on his back, "No, I'm just tired of thinking about it. From now on, if people like me, then cool. If people think something of me, then whatever. I mean, look at you. You're number one on the Glist, and you're just the same old Quinn. You don't care what other people think of you anymore. I wanna be like that. I wanna be more like you..."

That was sweet of him to say.

"Well," and he was probably about to ruin it, "Minus the being pregnant. That seems... painful."

Quinn almost smiled, "Yeah."

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

"Becky," Sue Sylvester was sitting at her desk, her little hobgoblin on the other side, "It would seem that Stinky's grown a spine. And, to be blunt, that is unacceptable."

"What are we going to do about it, coach?"

Sue clicked her tongue as she mulled it over. What to do, what to do? Truthfully, she blamed herself for the recent uprising in his spirit. Why? Because it was her who single-handedly brought him back into the glee club. A grave mistake. But, hindsight's always 20/20, right?

She's been too soft on him, too lenient on the entire club, actually. Sue then leaned forward, grabbing a pencil and note-pad, scribbling some words before ripping it off and giving it to Becky, "Give this to you know who. And, Becky, make sure she understands the importance."

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I know, this chapter is not good. But, to be honest, I didn't want to go over reputations and popularity so much when I had ad nauseum in Mash-Up. Next chapter is better, check it out now if ya want.


	19. Laryngitis

I've posted this chapter with Bad Reputation. So, in case you're here first, make sure you go back one to check out Bad Reputation. (Though this is the better chapter of the two, I really flaked on Bad Reputation)

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 19 - "Laryngitis"**

_'Oh my god, Puck is going to kick my ass.'_

_'Yeah, that's all I could think of as I walked out of the Barber Shop. What? I actually get my hair cut at an actual Barber Shop. Don't look at me like that. And don't think too hard on how I can see how you're looking at me. ANYWAY... I decided to change things up a bit. Maybe I secretly wanted to impress Quinn, maybe it was the fact that lately I was feeling a little more adventurous. Whatever it was, I walked out of that Barber Shop with my very own mohawk.'_

_'Yeah, wow is right.'_

_'Of course, the second I woke up the next morning for school, the regret and second-guessing was literally filling my brain. Puck was going to kick my ass, everyone was going to laugh at me, ridicule me. And, yeah, I know what you're thinking. Last chapter, I was singing that I don't give a damn about my reputation.'_

_'Let's just ignore that for now, though. So, how about a quick flash to my unveiling?'_

The Glee Club was just standing around, talking about random things, maybe a little preparation for Regionals. To sum it up; Business as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary until Mitchell walked into the choir room with a Cleveland Indians baseball cap tightly on his head.

They all looked at him curiously. So far, no sign of Puck.

"Hey, guys."

"I didn't know you were a baseball fan?" Finn said, "Nice hat."

Santana was intrigued, and also to first to notice his hair, "You shaved your head, didn't you?"

Mitchell shook said head.

"Oh whatever," she scoffed, reaching for the hat, "Just let us... Oh, wow."

Everyone gasped, even Mr. Schuester and the band. Surprise surprise, Santana seemed to actually like it, her eyes not leaving the new hairstyle.

"Now what the hell am I supposed to call you?" Jack was disgusted.

"Bold," Jesse commented.

"Stupid," Quinn didn't like it, "You're competing with Puck again. God, I thought we were passed this?"

_'I felt bad about what Quinn said. But, honestly, that was the most Santana had looked at me since we broke up. Seriously, she had her eyes on my mohawk like it was made out of money or something. Then she pushed her hands through it, which was awkward and exciting all at once.'_

While everyone was fixed on Mitchell Mason's mohawk, in walked Puck sporting a new hairstyle of his own. His head was shaved.

"All right now, this is some Twilight Zone business right here," Artie commented.

Puck explained that the only reason his mohawk had been shaved was because his mom sent him to the dermatologist and that guy claimed there was a suspicious mole. To make a long story short, Puckerman ended up getting mutilated over a lousy friggin' freckle.

Everyone kept looking back and forth between Puck and Mitchell. At the doors, the nerds were laughing when Puck looked at them and cowering in fear when Mitchell looked at them...

"Okay," Rachel was getting shivers, "Now this is just freaky."

_'Yeah, some turmoil in our Glee Club. And, it didn't stop there. During the next meeting, we all found out that Rachel had cooked up a little scheme to expose us all not singing as much.'_

_'All, Mohawk 2.0?'_

_'Fine, not all of... Wait... How the hell did you get in my voice-over?'_

**:::Glee Club:::**

"I'm very disappointed in you guys."

"I can't believe you narc'd on us," Finn looked at Rachel and Jack.

"Don't blame us for exposing your laziness," then she spoke to everyone, "I am tired of carrying all of your weight. Regionals is in a month, this is unacceptable."

"Help me out, guys," Mr. Schuester wanted to make sense of it, "I'm trying to understand what's going on here. Finn, tell me, why did you stop singing?"

"Because you started giving all the male leads to Jesse. Kind of shook my confidence and I just didn't see the point in trying harder when it didn't matter."

"Ugh," Santana was still sneaking peeks at Mitchell's mohawk, "Everyone knows that my job here is to look hot."

"My baby hormones are making me moody."

"The sides of my head are really cold, but the top is normal temp," Mitchell explained, "It's just really distracting."

"You're an idiot," Santana rolled her eyes, "Hot, but an idiot."

"There are just so many lyrics," Brittany was overwhelmed.

Mr. Schuester needed his team focused on the task at hand, ready to step up and face their competition at Regionals. They couldn't do that if they were faking their way through rehearsal, "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. A Glee Club is meant to be a myriad of voices coming together as one. This faking your way through is ending right now. Forget Nationals, if we can't come together and unite as one, we won't even stand a chance at Regionals."

"Now," he wasn't done, "Your assignment for the week - Mitchell, listen closely - is for each of you to come up with a song that best represents how you see yourself - Where you are in your lives right now. Your voice. Then... You're going to stand up here and sing your hearts out."

He felt the need to stress one more thing, "All of you are going to sing. No one is getting a free pass this time."

"Solos?" Kurt liked the sound of that, "In front of everyone? We're all getting a chance? Not just who happens to be going through something personal that particular week?"

Mr. Schuester nodded his head, "The Glee Club has lost its voice. It's time for us to get it back."

School bell came next and they all went their separate ways.

Considering his track record for assignments - and that he still hadn't actually done a single one as he was supposed to - Mitchell felt the need to really come through this time. A definite visit to that music library he went to with Rachel during the Hello assignment was in order.

It was settled. Some time this week, after school, he would go straight there. He had the week off, so he didn't need to worry about work.

"Mitchell," Mitchell turned around and there was Quinn, "I can't believe you. I thought we were past this?"

He realized he wasn't in the mood, "Plenty of guys have mohawks. Even some girls, too."

"No," Quinn followed Mitchell as he started walking away, "Don't act like this is nothing. I know why you got a mohawk. Everyone knows why. And, we need to talk about why you keep trying to compete with Puck."

"There's no competition!" he turned on his heels, catching her by surprise, "I got this because I did. Did he inspire me? Yeah. But, I just wanted a change. I wanted something new. Besides, the competition's over, anyway."

"Yeah, right," she crossed her arms, laughing sarcastically, "I saw the glare you two traded on the way in to Glee."

"Puck's interested in Mercedes now, Quinn," the truth hurt, "And, I'm sticking by our agreement to just be friends."

"Mitchell..."

"I have a mohawk now," Mitchell turned away, not quite sure why he was giving her an attitude, "Deal with it!"

Quinn just stood there in the middle of the hallway, the students going by her in groups. Mitchell had a point. There was no more competition. Puck wasn't going after her, he had eyes for Mercedes.

**:::Glee Club:::**

The next meeting for New Directions. Mitchell and Santana were seated next to each other, and Puck was busying himself with hitting on Mercedes. In the middle of it all, Quinn sat just about by herself, pondering the whole situation. Before anyone could speak, there was Rachel already approaching their Director as he had just entered the choir room...

"As I was first on the sign-up sheet," she said, "I think it's only fair for me to kick things off."

"Okay," Mr. Schuester took a seat next to the piano.

"I have chosen Miley Cyrus' 'The Climb'," she announced proudly, "Because it's about overcoming obstacles and beating the odds. In my case," time to be blunt, "The obstacle is you, my lackluster teammates who refuse to carry their own weight."

Jack stood up and applauded accordingly, Rachel nodding graciously.

Brad started on the piano and Rachel kicked into gear. But, as she did, it became painfully evident that something was amiss. Her voice... It was gone. Just not there at all. The gleeks all looked at each other, feeling like they had just witnessed the Lakers blow a game 7. Or, perhaps, seen Sue Sylvester trip and fall in public. It just didn't happen. But, there it was, happening...

Rachel Berry had lost her voice.

**:::Music Library:::**

This was hopeless.

Nothing spoke to him. Nothing leaped out at Mitchell and grabbed him. Maybe it didn't help matters that he wasn't exactly certain on what he was looking for. All he knew is it had to be honest and reflect him in some way. Now, what could he be honest and truthful about? What was something that could sum up what he had been feeling as of late?

Finn sang 'Jessie's Girl'. A classic. It expressed Finn's feelings perfectly. It was also a great performance by the Quarterback. Puck had chosen that Sammy Davis Jr. song. It expressed his recent infatuation with Mercedes. So, maybe the song didn't need to be exactly about yourself. Just give a view of what you were feeling.

Quinn still cared for Puck. Even though it seemed she didn't want to, she was letting herself slowly fall for him. Despite the fact that he was still hanging out with other girls and was rumored to still be involved with Santana in a sexual relationship.

What if Mitchell chose a song that was an attempt to make Quinn see herself how Mitchell saw her? It didn't need to be a love song, or anything overly-dramatic, either. Something straight to the point. He also didn't want anything that seemed too involved or important.

Light, straight to the point, and with a little energy.

Think, Mason, think!

Mitchell snapped his fingers, proverbially diving into the stacks and going through a book of recent hits. There was this band he remembered hearing on the radio his last year of Junior High. Had a female singer, kind of a pop-punk esque sound to them. There was a song they had called 'Bowling Ball'. Which sounded pretty comedic, but the song wasn't. At least, he didn't come to that conclusion.

"Superchick," he found the name and his finger drifted to the song title, "Looks like I got my song."

**:::In The Halls:::**

Mercedes Jones felt damn good. Yes, it's true, it's damn true, Mercedes Jones and Noah Puckerman had become official. Granted, Mercedes knew full-well that there was an expiration date. That wouldn't stop her, though, from living it up while she had the chance.

She was happy, everyone was checking her out, especially the guys. It was just so cool to be looked at in a positive way for a change. So good. That was until she turned a corner and found Quinn waiting for her at a set of lockers.

Ready to face the music, Mercedes approached her friend with pure honesty, "Look, Quinn, I could never see myself being into a guy like Puck... Especially since he's your baby's daddy. But... Something just happened between us."

"I say... Go for it."

Not what Mercedes was expecting from the former cheerleader, "Quinnie say what?"

"Look, I screwed up by letting Puck get me pregnant. He's an idiot, and his mother won't let me eat bacon. Not to mention, I'm stuck living with him right now... But, at least if you guys are dating, I won't have to spend so much time listening to his insane theories on how Super Mario Brothers altered civilization in such a profound way that can never be truly appreciated."

Time for some deep truth from Quinn, "But, you do realize that he's using you and your popularity so he won't get tossed in a dumpster?"

"I know he's using me," Mercedes understood that, "Which, in a wierd way, is even better. I'm not you, I've never had a guy like me for anything. But now I'm such a steaming mug of hot chocolate that one of the studliest guys in school wants to use me to harvest some mojo. For now, I'll take it."

"I just don't want you getting hurt."

"I know what this is, my heart's safe."

"Oh," Quinn was thinking along the lines of something else, "It's not your heart that I'm worried about. See, I might be okay with this, but not even Puck can call off the vicious assault that is Santana Lopez."

Mercedes swallowed hard, "You have a point."

"Just... Take care of yourself. You're a good person, Mercedes. The last thing I want is to see something happen to you."

"I'll be okay," she wasn't worried... much, "Anyway, since you're single... I'm just curious... Is there any chance you and..."

Quinn knew where this was heading, "Please, don't say his name."

"Quinn, he's crazy about you," Mercedes was simply speaking what was on most of the glee club's minds, "He has been, ever since he first saw you. Even when he was with Santana."

Quinn sighed, "Well, right now, he's not all that crazy about me."

"I heard about what happened in the hall," and she had, "Speaking of Santana, I think she might be getting ready to sink her claws back into him."

"Santana," Quinn scoffed, "She thinks she cares about Mitchell. But, she's not the type to care about only one person... Ever."

"Do you like him?" Mercedes wondered, wanting the answer once and for all, "I mean, really like him? Do you think that's there a chance that maybe..."

Quinn just gave Mercedes a look. Sadly, it was unreadable. On one hand, it could have meant that she did like him, but just didn't want to admit it. On the other, and perhaps more logical, it may very well have meant that she didn't, but also didn't want to cause any trouble by saying something wrong.

"Quinn, it's me," Mercedes gently pressed, "You can tell me."

Quinn took a deep breath, "Sometimes... Just sometimes... I feel like..."

School bell. Time to get to Glee Club.

**:::Glee Club:::**

It seemed that Mitchell and Santana were maybe returning to their former glory as an IT couple at McKinley. Lately, they had been spotted together more and more, especially at Glee meetings when they would sit next to each other. However, neither would comment. So, maybe it was actually just the two of them once again comfortable in each other's presence rather than anything romantic.

For the time being, Mitchell was sitting in-between his ex-girlfriend and Matt, watching in awe as a drastically new Kurt Hummel walked in. To be real, it looked like he was in a dirt cheap Halloween costume. But, then he started talking with a new tone of voice. Deeper, rougher, more manly.

The situation grew fast uncomfortable when he started singing a Mellencamp hit and everyone just kinda looked at him awkwardly. Adding to the wierd was when Matt tapped Mitchell on the shoulder, pointing to Brittany who appeared to be really digging the new Hummel.

Just plain wierd.

And, adding to the wierd, was the very next Glee meeting...

**:::Glee Club:::**

Well, if one needed proof that Santana and Mitchell were not reunited, they'd need not look any further than the battling duet between Ms. Lopez and Ms. Jones. The two were running through 'The Boy Is Mine', and very nearly coming to blows over which one had more right to be with Puckerman.

Thus making Mitchell feel like a chump. Something that didn't go un-noticed by Quinn during the scuffle.

**:::In The Halls:::**

After the Glee meeting, Mitchell had managed to catch up with Santana. Luckily for him, as he was hopeful of retrieving a few answers.

"What was that?" he asked.

"Oh, here we go," apparently, she was in no mood to talk, "God, why do you do this, Mitchell? It's pathetic."

"We've been joined at the hip ever since I got my haircut," he said, "Was it that wrong to think..."

"Yes," she wasted no time, "We're not a couple. We're just hanging out. You're my arm candy for awhile."

Arm candy? Wow, that so did not feel good. Santana didn't stick around to explain further, either. That was that. A done deal. Nothing more, nothing less. That quick, it was over before it began.

Mitchell sighed, realizing that he should have known better. Still, that didn't help make it feel any better. It did nothing to soften the blow. He felt like a fool, like the world's biggest moron. What the hell was he doing? Getting a mohawk? Latching onto Santana? Talking to Quinn like she didn't mean what she meant to him?

Where did it end? When did these stupid things stop? When would Mitchell Marcus Mason grow up? He wished he had the answer. He wished he knew. But, he didn't. He was lost, grabbing at straws, flailing his arms at anything he could to try and stay afloat.

**:::Sue Sylvester's Office:::**

"I don't want to do this again."

Well now, this was certainly troubling, wasn't it? Defiance from one of her Cheerios? Unwilling to see through a task specifically chosen? Sue Sylvester would not settle for this.

"All right," Sue contemplated the situation, standing before Santana, Brittany and Becky in the middle, "Tragically, this world accepts independent thought, and I am forced now to respect your decision."

Santana breathed a sigh of relief...

"HOWEVER!" Sue raised a hand and finger.

Sucked that breath right back in.

"I am now promoting Brittany to Head Cheerleader, instead."

Brittany smiled and clapped. Becky gasped, and Santana's jaw nearly smacked the floor...

"Coach Sylvester, he's my friend," Santana claimed, "We're just now on speaking terms again."

"Look at you," Coach Sylvester could barely stomach the change in personality from naughty to nice, "You're getting soft... Like the centre of a Milky Way. And that is honest to goodness unacceptable. Not a Milky Way, those are delicious."

"I just..."

"I gave you an order, Santana," Sue was now in a foul mood, "And, I promised you the world for your co-operation."

"Fine!" damn it, she didn't want to hurt Mitchell again, but if it meant the head cheerleading spot, then it was a neccessary evil, "All right, I'll try again."

"There we go," Sue nodded, liking the return to obedience, "But, I stand by my decision to have Brittany as head cheerleader until you see this mission through to completion."

"Wait," Brittany had a question, "Does head cheerleader mean... I'll only have a head? How will I use my pom-poms?"

They all just looked at her, and Sue Sylvester was forced to hand over her best bargaining chip, "Santana, you are once again head cheerleader."

**:::Glee Club:::**

The day had come for Mitchell's turn to perform. And, he had changed his mind on which song to showcase. He had no place commenting on Quinn's life. She was her own, as was the decisions she made. Speaking of which, as a result of the fleeting Puck/Mercedes romance fizzling out, Quick had become an official item. Mercedes wasn't past the whole thing, but she was happy for Quinn and knew in advance that her own relationship with Puck was about as superficial as one can get.

Mitchell wasn't crazy about Quinn and Puck reuniting as a couple. But, it wasn't for him to judge. Above all else, he was Quinn's friend, and wanted to support her as best he could. If it was her decision to be with Puck, then Mitchell chose to stand by her. Even though that was totally insanely difficult.

Now, New Directions had been asked by Mitchell to gather in the auditorium. Which they obliged. He also asked for a little help from his friends. Artie had taken bass duties and Finn was at the drums. Once everyone else was settled in their seats, it was time for Mitchell to perform a song that he felt best described him at the moment without being too much of a downer.

How about some Faith No More, peeps?

"_Back and forth, I sway with the wind,_" Mitchell attempted his best Mike Patton voice, "_Resolution slips away again. Right through my fingers, back into my heart. Where it's out of reach and it's in the dark._"

Now a little bit softer, "_Sometimes I think I'm blind. Or maybe just paralyzed._"

Then his voice kicked into gear, "_Because the plot thickens every day, and the pieces of my puzzle keep crumblin' away. But I know... There's a picture beneath._"

Now Mitchell was off the stage and walking across the tops of the seats, the club getting into the performance as he dove into the chorus, "_Indecision clouds my vision. No one listens. Because I'm somewhere in-between, my love and my agony. You see, I'm somewhere in-between. My life is falling to pieces, somebody put me together!_"

Mitchell pointed back to Artie and Finn as they did their thing for a few seconds, Artie showcasing some sick skills. Then came more vocals...

Kurt was shown, sitting in the background while his father, Carole and Finn all had all grand ol' time, "_Layin' face down on the ground. My fingers in my ears to block the sound._"

Then there was Rachel at the doctor's office, "_My eyes shut tight to avoid the sight. Anticipating the end, losing the will to fight._"

Quinn watching Puck flirt with other girls, "_Droplets of 'yes' and 'no', in an ocean of 'maybe'."_

Will trying to come to terms with having hurt Emma, "_From the bottom, it looks like a steep incline. From the top, another downhill slope of mine. But I know, the equilibrium's there._"

Brittany worrying about being a head cheerleader, "_Indecision clouds my vision._"

Jack helping out Rachel and Lauren with the bug in the choir room,_ "No one listens._"

Santana took over the rest of the chorus, getting an earful from Sue, "_Because I'm somewhere in-between, my love and agony. You see, I'm somewhere in-between. My life is falling to pieces, somebody put me back together._"

It was Puck's turn, faced with both Quinn and Mercedes, "_Back and forth, I sway with the wind. Resolution slips away again._"

Finn feeling sad over Rachel choosing Jesse St. James, "_Right through my fingers, back into my heart. Where it's out of reach and it's in the dark._"

Mercedes sweating recent issues with Puck, "_Sometimes I think I'm blind. Or I may be just paralyzed._"

Mitchell recaptured control of the performance, following Quinn in the hallways for a bit, "_Because the plot thickens every day, and the pieces of my puzzle keep crumblin' away. But I know, there's a picture beneath._"

Emma sat in her office, thinking about Will, "_Indecision clouds my vision._"

Sue shaking her head as Santana and Brittany walked away from her, "_No one listens._"

The scene returned to the auditorium, everyone starting to join Mitchell on the stage as he closed in on the finish, "_Because I'm somewhere in-between, my love and my agony. You see, I'm somewhere in-between. My life is falling to pieces, somebody put me together._"

Now everyone together on stage, "_Somewhere in-between, my love and my agony. You see, I'm somewhere in-between. My life is falling to pieces, somebody put me together._"

The music just kept going, Mitchell as well, "_Somebody put me together. Somebody put me together. Whoooahhh!_"

The music faded out, everyone clapping.

"Yes, Mitchell," Will loved it, "That is what I'm talking about. You picked a song that you felt best reflected your feelings and you ran with it. You stuck to the assignment and put on a rockin' performance. Congratulations, man," Will clapped hands with the student, "You did it! How do you feel?"

Mitchell smiled, "Pretty good, actually."

"Hey," Santana approached amidst the celebration, "Can we talk for a second?"

Seconds later, Mitchell and Santana were in the halls...

"I'm just gonna come out and say it," why wait around, "Coach Sylvester told me to hurt you, again."

Mitchell sighed, "Yeah, I kinda figured. I wasn't sure, though."

"Thing is," Santana wasn't done, "I really don't want to, this time." they stopped walking and Santana kept talking, "We don't work as a couple, but - and I so cannot believe I'm saying this - We do work as friends. So, I wanted to be honest with you."

"Last time was head cheerleader," Mitchell remembered, "What is she dangling in front of you this time?"

"She threatened to take it away," Santana explained.

"That sucks," obviously, "Well, looks like we gotta make it believable, right?"

"Huh?" Santana cocked a brow.

As if on cue, Sue Sylvester rounded a corner in the distance, casting a quick glance toward the former couple.

Thinking quick, Mitchell planted a kiss across Santana's lips and she returned the favor. Satisfied with Santana's actions, Sue left with a smug smile on her face.

They pulled away, "Okay, you didn't have to do that."

Mitchell smirked, cocking a brow, "Yeah, and you didn't have to go with it."

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

There we go. Four more episodes left. That's it, that's all. What's gonna happen, what won't happen, what could happen? Hopefully I didn't show my age too much (I'm 28 years old) by choosing that song for Mitchell. But, I felt that not only did it fit Mitchell, but also the rest of the glee club.

No one is a good as Mike Patton, though. The dude's voice is astounding.

Hopefully these two chapters were enjoyable enough. The next one won't be out quite as quick, since I wanna take a little break from writing this. But, I'm not talking too long of a time between updates, though. Maybe just a week or two. "Dream On" is a favorite episode of mine, plus THE MAN directed it. The god of gods known by the mortal name of The Great Joss Whedon.

Lots of Whedon references to watch out for.


	20. Dream On

Word to the wise, don't screw around on an ATV and not wear a helmet. I have a concussion, so my head's a little screwy, headaches suck, but on the flip side, I now have entirely too much free time as I'm basically just hanging out doing nothing, waiting to get back to one-hundred percent.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 20 - "Dream On"**

Where are you?

Everything's a blur... The edges are fuzzy. You shake your head and start walking forward, coming out of a darkness into an afternoon light. Still a little hazy, but things are getting brighter. You're standing in some kind of building that doesn't seem to register in your memory. The haze is wearing off.

Seeing pretty clearly now, you move toward a swinging door and now you're outside and it's pouring rain. Cold, heavy and thick drops. Perfect. Now, to try and figure out why the hell you're outside in the rain. No jacket, no umbrella. T-shirt is pretty much nothing more than a soaked cloth at this point.

It's a busy city street. Very busy. Reminds you of New York City, even though you've never been. People everywhere, traffic flooding the streets as sure as the water builds slowly yet steadily.

You have somewhere to be... Somewhere to go... But, you can't really remember where it is. A Taxi Cab or two drive by, people getting in and riding away. That feels like a good idea. So, you hail a cab. It stops in front of you and you open the door, literally counting the seconds until you're out of the...

"Mitchell? Is that you?"

You're sharing a cab with Quinn Fabray. Wow, it's been years. You haven't seen her since graduation, and that was at least six years ago. She's just as beautiful as you remember, and that crush from way back when starts creeping for a return.

"I can't believe it," she says, a large carrying bag sitting in her lap, "How have you been?"

"Where to, Sir?" the driver asks.

This is a once in a lifetime chance that you need to take, "I'll go wherever she's going."

Quinn blushes and you're infatuated with those eyes.

"How have you been?" your turn to ask the question as you try to ignore a sudden pulling feeling behind your shoulders.

"Are you all right, Mitchell?" she asks, concerned, "You don't..." her voice warps and there's a sound of static in the distance, "... _Look so well_."

Oh no, you realize what's happening. This dream turns into a nightmare as it becomes painfully obvious that you're inside of a dream that you're suddenly waking up from. Crap!

"I always loved you, Quinn!"

"Mitchell, I..."

"NOOOO!" the taxi door rips off its hinges, and an unseen force violently pulls you out of the vehicle, "QUINN!"

"MITCHELL!" teary-eyed and frightened, Quinn peeks her head out of the newly formed hole, the entire world collapsing around her.

It's at this point that you realize it may not have been the greatest idea to watch Inception right before you fell asleep.

**:::Reality:::**

His alarm clock blaring loudly, Mitchell sat up in bed. Shivering in a cold sweat, he ran a hand over the top of his head. Which, by the way, was minus a mohawk. It was just another dream. Another batch of false yet surreal images starring he and Quinn Fabray.

Try as he might, he couldn't get past the crush. It didn't matter that he was close to a relationship with Santana... It didn't matter that Puck and Quinn were a new power couple... It didn't matter that people like Finn, Jack and Rachel claimed he should let it go.

Mitchell's dream girl remained to be Quinn.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Decked out in his favorite Buffy The Vampire Slayer t-shirt, Mitchell was attending the first Glee meeting of the week. And there were rumors amongst the students that something special would be going down. While speculation ran rampant, what this entailed exactly was kept secret until Mr. Schuester was addressing them all with a stranger standing next to him...

"All right, listen up guys. This is Bryan Ryan, and he's a member of the school board. He'd like to say a few words," after ending the sentence, Mr. Schuester stepped to the side.

Everyone paid their attention as this Bryan Ryan took the floor. However, Mr. Schuester quickly stepped back in, "I just want you guys to listen critically, and understand that what he's saying is just one of many opinions."

This time, Mr. Schuester truly stepped to the side and took a seat. Without further interruption, Bryan Ryan began...

"Take out a piece of paper," he instructed, "And, on that piece of paper, I want you to write your biggest dream. A dream that means so much, you're afraid to admit it even to yourself. Unless, of course, you already have."

It probably goes without saying, but Mitchell wrote Quinn's name down, making sure she couldn't see it. He was seated next to Ms. Rachel Berry.

Then shocking the Glee Club, Bryan Ryan tore Artie's paper away, crumpled it into a ball and tossed it carelessly into the trash can, "Your dream is never going to happen!"

Mitchell and Rachel glanced to each other with pouting expressions.

Bryan Ryan wasn't finished yet, "Ninety-One percent of you will spend your entire lives living in Allen County, Ohio," the wind was being sucked out of the club, even the Changster's bottom lip was sticking out now, "So, unless you wrote down that your dream was to work for a mid-market health insurance provider or find an entry-level job in an elderly-care facility... You're going to end up very very disappointed."

"This is really depressing," Mercedes commented.

But, guess what? _Captain Soul-Killer_ had yet to complete his task, "I'm going to guess that a lot of your dreams involve showbiz?"

Kurt and Rachel shared a look while Mitchell turned to Quinn.

"Well, let me tell you," oh god, he was still going, "Showbiz dreams are the most unrealistic of them all."

"But... That's what I want to do with my life," Tina had a dream that she had fantasized over countless times before.

"Aww, look, I'm not trying to hurt your feelings," sure seems like it, "I'm just trying to spare you disappointment."

"I think we got your point, Bryan," Will had heard enough.

"See, dear Mr. Schuester here's a prime example," shut up, "He used to have that glimmer of hope in his eyes that I can see right now in all of yours. But, he couldn't make it happen for himself."

Mitchell felt like he had been punched in the stomach.

Bryan Ryan kept the train rolling, "So, he now has to try and convince you all that it'll happen for you," he paused, possibly a moment of mercy, "Guess what, kids? His dream didn't work out. And... Neither... Will... Yours."

Tina lost it.

"Okay," Mr. Schuester didn't agree to his students getting torn down, "You're done here. Time to leave."

"You're a douche," Jack spoke up, not realizing he was defending Tina, "You come in here, you tear us down, you make us cry, make us feel worthless. You have no right to do this. You sir, are a douche."

"You would all be wise to show me some respect."

"You've said your piece. Now, get out of my choir room."

"Well, Schuester, I should thank you," was he the devil, "You've made my decision about which program to cut... A lot easier."

And then he was gone, leaving Mr. Schuester alone with the Glee Club.

"I can't feel anything," Mitchell mumbled his words, dazed, "I think he ripped out my soul."

"Mitchell," Rachel tried calming him down, "You're shaking. Mr. Schuester?"

"I'm gonna ask him something," Mitchell moved, accidentally stumbling, which thankfully Mr. Schuester managed to catch him, "I'll be right back, guys."

"Mitchell," Mr. Schuester called out, but it did no good, as Mitchell was already out into the hallway.

Quinn sighed to herself, too quietly for anyone to hear.

Mitchell moved quickly, running down this evil man named Bryan Ryan before he was out of sight, "Bryan? Uhh... Mr. Ryan? Mr. Bryan Ryan?"

Bryan Ryan turned around, "Yeah, kid?"

"The umm... The dreams... What about if your dream is to be with... someone?"

Bryan Ryan sighed, knowing this wasn't his specialty, but he had come across many of the same cases in the past, "Let me guess... You've been in love with her all year?"

Mitchell was quiet.

"You like her, she likes you, but there's always something in the way?"

Freaky.

"Still haven't asked her out, even though time's running thin? I bet she's in Glee Club, too?"

Wow, it was like he was Professor Xavier from the X-Men.

"Kid," it was almost like this Bryan Ryan wasn't being mean, just heartfelt, preparing Mitchell for disaster, "This isn't a TV show or a fan-fiction based upon that show. Face facts. Don't get your hopes up only to have them crash down."

"It's not going to happen," Mitchell whispered as he felt like crying. Actually, he felt almost like he couldn't breathe.

"Set your sights a little lower. Try for more realistic goals. It's not going to happen."

It hurt. Like hell. The unquestionable truth. It had to sink in. Mitchell had no choice but to accept it. Bryan Ryan was right. But, damn it, it was just so hard to swallow. So hard to... take in. To accept.

Mitchell swallowed, "But, what if..."

Bryan Ryan wasn't even standing there any longer. Mitchell was all alone in the hallway.

**:::In Dreaming:::**

They were alone in the choir room. Just the two of them and a guitar. They had been working on an assignment for Glee. Well, Quinn did all the leg-work. Mitchell had just heard of this song that she had approached him with. Making it all the cooler, Quinn was playing a guitar for the performance.

The song started with Quinn gently playing, "_What do you get when you fall in love? A guy with a pin to burst your bubble, that's what you get for all your trouble. I'll never fall in love again... I'll never fall in love again._"

Mitchell just watched her, amazed by every word, every motion. Captivated.

Quinn kept singing and playing the guitar, "_What do you get when you kiss a guy? You get enough germs to catch pneumonia. After you do, he'll never phone ya. I'll never fall in love again. I'll never fall in love again._"

"What, you won't miss it?" Mitchell asked, "I mean... I've heard that it's..."

"_Don't tell me what it's all about,_" she cut him off, "_'Cause I've been there and I'm glad I'm out. Out of those chains, those chains that bind you. That is why I'm here to remind you._"

Quinn focused a bit more closely on the sheet music in front of her, rolling with some built-up confidence, unaware that Mitchell was watching her sadly.

"_What do you get when you fall in love? You only get lies and pain and sorrow. So for at least, until tomorrow, I'll..._"

Mitchell joined in as they sang together, "_... Never fall in love again. I'll never fall in love again._"

Quinn handed Mitchell the guitar and he ran his hand across the strings clumsily, knocking them off beat for a moment. He then rested the instrument in his lap, Quinn handing him the sheet music, which allowed for him to follow along with her.

"_What do you get when you give your heart?_" Mitchell sang, his voice cracking as he felt Quinn's arm move over his shoulder, directing him in the song, "_You get it all broken up and battered. That's what you get, a heart that's shattered. I'll..._"

"_... Never fall in love again,_" they harmonized.

Quinn moved around Mitchell, her head resting on his shoulder as he heard a faint cracking noise in the background.

"_I'll..._" Mitchell sang alone, eyes dancing nervously around the choir room.

"_... Never fall in love again._" together once more, Quinn blissfully oblivious to the dream beginning to collapse.

Mitchell took a deep breath then started singing, "_Don't tell me what it's all about,_" so nervous that he accidentally played the guitar off-key, which made Quinn sit up, "_'Cause I've been there and I'm glad I'm out. Out of those chains, those chains that bind you._"

"_That is why, I'm here to remind you,_" Quinn sang, taking the guitar away from him while the cracking grew in volume.

"_What do you get when you fall in love?_" they asked each other, Quinn swinging her feet into his lap gently as she kept playing the guitar, and Mitchell tried his best to ignore the collapsing, "_You only get lies and pain and sorrow. So for, at least, until tomorrow..._"

"_I'll..._" Quinn trilled.

Together, "_... Never fall in love again._"

"_I'll..._" Mitchell crooned as the walls began breaking away and the ceiling crumbled, dropping to the floor and caving it in.

"_... Never fall in love again._"

"_I'll,_" they paused for a moment, the choir room deteriorating into nothing more than the two seats that they occupied, "_Never fall in love again._"

**:::Reality:::**

Once again, Mitchell was inside his bedroom, the morning sunlight prying apart his eyes as another day began. Pining over Quinn like this was becoming unbearable, he needed to move past it. Being with Santana didn't work. Quinn having a boyfriend didn't work. Bryan Ryan destroying his dreams did nothing but make him feel like crap.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Wearing a Dollhouse baseball cap that he found online, Mitchell sat in the choir room with the rest of New Directions.

The mood was pretty sour. Not the worst Mr. Schuester had ever seen, but it was certainly in the top five. He couldn' blame them, though. Bryan Ryan had dashed their hopes and dreams. Had literally taken hold of them, crumpled them up and thrown them into a bucket to be collected by the janitor later.

"Okay, so, this week's assignment..."

"Would it be okay if we skipped the assignment this time, Mr. Schue?" Artie asked, everyone glad he did, "We're all feeling a little down this week."

Mr. Shuester sympathized, but he wanted them to know something, "Tell you what, just this once... No assignment. But, I want you guys to understand that this sort of thing is going to happen from time to time."

"That's so not cool," Finn remarked.

"Whether you do decide to be involved in show business or not, there's going to come times in your life when you're going to be told that you suck or you're wasting your time. Hell, you could be a teacher and have that happen."

"How do you get over it?" Matt wondered, "I've been mowed over on the field and didn't feel this bad."

"It was just something in the way he said it," Quinn followed, "It really shook us all up. I talked to Jack earlier and it even got to him."

"Where is he, anyway?" Finn asked.

Quinn shrugged, "He said he had something to take care of, so he would miss Glee today."

"It's gonna happen," Mr. Schuester resumed his speech to the students, "It doesn't matter if you're the most sought after Broadway performer or a Super Bowl Champ, or there's even a personal dream that you're latching onto," he paused, "There are going to be naysayers. They're gonna try and tear you down."

"And, to answer Matt's question; You gotta build a thick skin. You gotta learn to stand up and believe in yourself. Guys, never let anyone convince you that your dreams can't come true."

"What if they're not realistic?" Mitchell asked, Quinn feeling a tiny jab to her heart.

"All dreams are realistic," Mr. Schuester couldn't stand to see his students so down on themselves, "See, the thing about dreams is they can provide you hope and strength. They can make you feel good about yourself, they can make you feel alive."

"Now, I don't know what all your dreams are," he just had to lift their spirits at least a little, "But, I can tell you this... You need to hold onto them. Don't ever let them go. I mean, not only can they provide - like I said - hope and strength. But, they can also motivate you like nothing else. They can be a door to a world of opportunities."

"If you let someone kill your dreams, then you let them kill your hope. And, if we don't have hope... Really, we don't have anything."

The bell rang.

"Remember, guys," Mr. Schuester said as they all started leaving, "Hold on to those dreams."

Mitchell wasn't as quick to leave, as he discovered his shoelaces needed tying. As he took care of the minor issue, he noticed Kurt standing over him...

"I wish I knew what to say, Mitchell," Kurt spoke, "I really do."

"What do you mean?" Mitchell stood up, flinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Please, you've been walking darkness ever since that insipid Bryan Ryan spoke to us," Kurt spelled it out, them being the only two left in the room, "You're not over Quinn, and it's seriously dragging you down."

"I'm good," Mitchell tried shrugging it off.

"You need to talk to somebody."

Mitchell sighed, "Like who? Everyone I know is involved in Glee."

"What about that Michelle?"

"Gone on some art trip thing."

"What about your dad?" Kurt raised, "Maybe some fatherly advice is in..."

Mitchell ran a hand over his head, "It's not the greatest... Having a dad that's a doctor. He's never home, and when he is, the only thing we talk about is my health and grades. He's a great guy... An amazing person... Just... Not really there there much."

**:::In Dreaming:::**

The sound of the bottom of their feet smacking the cobblestone seemed to echo as they ran past him. This was way back when, a very long time ago. Mitchell came out of the cover of a small alley-way between buildings to follow the little ones, knowing where they would be going.

There was a theatre show tonight. The alarmingly elegant and talented Quinn Fabray would be starring in an all-new all-original production. Mitchell hadn't been able to purchase a ticket, though. Hence, following the children. He had learned a trick from a friend quite awhile ago. If you were able to mingle well enough with a group of children, the man at the door would just assume you were their guardian and not give you a second glance as you walked on by.

PLaying it cool and nonchalant, Mitchell followed the children to the main doors of the theatre house. Not so lucky for him, his plan didn't work. He was stopped by the man at the door.

A man named Puckerman.

"Ticket?" the man named Puckerman asked, chewing on his chew, spitting some spit from the side of lips.

The ship had sailed on the 'with them', which left Mitchell without anything. The feeling of defeat being felt, he cringed at the sound of the spit hitting the tin can by his feet...

"Help me out, huh?" Mitchell was hopeful, "Give an honest man a chance to see the greatest show there is?"

"This is a no can do ya for," the man named Puckerman couldn't do it, "I let you in, I let myself out of the job. I need the money."

"A trade?" Mitchell wouldn't quit, "A favor for a favor? And perhaps, your favor be favored over mine?"

"Circles," Puckerman's response, "Riddles can't beat my mind. I've seen the tricks, invented 'em all. At least... The good ones."

Mitchell stepped to the side as the line moved ahead of him, the customers passing their tickets along. He wanted in, but how? He was this close, turning away would be too painful to endure.

"My heart cries," Mitchell confessed to the man, "An illness can only be cured by the one who inflicted it."

The man named Puckerman laughed as the line starting coming to its end, "Now I know. You aren't the first, neither the last. There's many that she's broken."

"A debt to you," Mitchell pleaded calmly, "The wind takes me, but I cannot land. I need this."

"So bad?"

"Horrible."

"You say horrible?"

"Terrible."

"Picture," the man named Puckerman took a deep breath, "No entry, though."

Mitchell sighed sadly. This was useless, he wasn't going to be let in. It didn't matter what he tried, "A thanks for the help that never was."

"Tied hands," the man named Puckerman said as Mitchell walked away.

However, Puckerman wasn't privy to the fact that Mitchell had another plan...

Mitchell brought a hood over his head and waited for darkness to fall. Once it did, he used the absence of light as a shield, sneaking stealthily around the side of the theatre. He scaled the side of a short building, climbing onto a balcony that was adjacent to one on the theatre building.

In darkness, in silence, he waited for her.

Eventually, he could see her through the windows, washing the make-up away. She then changed from an elaborate and gawdy dress to a simple top and long skirt. Of course, Mitchell turned his sight away as the lady changed her clothing. It was then mere moments until she opened the door-like windows and was standing on the balcony, letting her hair down and the wind blow gently through it.

Mitchell was disguised in a shadow, perpetually invisible to the naked eye. He barely dared to breathe, suddenly frightened. He needed to speak, though. There could be no more waiting. His soul needed rest, needed relief... Begged for it.

"Apologies," his voice startled her, though she did not scream, "No harm. No danger. Innocent."

"You are?" she asked in a delicate voice, turning her face away, hiding it behind her hands, "Don't look."

"Real is prettier than the stage," he whispered, stepping out of the shadows, perching himself on the railing of his balcony, "Show me, please? I've waited."

"Not the truth," she had a stigma about showing her face to people while not on the stage.

"My truth," he carefully jumped to her railing, staying there, "Could be ours."

"Ours?" she questioned, "Expect too much."

"Dream, beauitful, dream," he slowly stepped off, grabbing her hands and taking them away from her face, "Nothing's better than you."

There was fear on her face as she looked up into his own. His eyes were tired, hands were cold, and the hood hid too much. She slipped her hands out of his grasp and pulled it down...

"Mitchell?"

"Quinn."

The cracking. This time with shaking and the moonlight started dimming. When the last two times were slow, this collapse was abrupt and fast. Straight to the end, nothing to hold onto... No time to...

**:::Reality:::**

Wearing his favorite Firefly shirt, Mitchell was at his locker, dropping off books and other things he wouldn't need, still trying to shake the Quinn dreams. From the corner of his eye, he spotted none other than Quinn approaching him. Not now, not now...

"Hey," she greeted, arriving at his locker, "We need to talk."

Mitchell hesitated, but then shook his head and turned away, ready to leave.

"Don't act like this, Mitchell," she was frustrated, "We need to resolve this."

"I'm sorry," he didn't know what to say other then apologize, "It's just... Bryan Ryan shook me up, and... I'm just having some trouble getting past it. I will, I promise. I just..."

Quinn chose her words carefully, "You keep saying that; You'll get past it, but you never do and it keeps bothering you. And, it bothers me to know I'm causing this."

Mitchell sighed sadly, trying to keep himself calm, composed, thinking with a level head and clearly, "I just... It..." what the hell was he supposed to say?

"It's not going to happen," she had to be firm with him, though it hurt badly inside to do so, "I'm with Puck, I'm pregnant. It just isn't the right time... It might... never be," she could literally see that she was breaking his heart by doing this, but what other choice did she have?

Mitchell closed his lips, tightening his jaw and taking a deep breath through his nose. He nodded, taking a couple steps in the opposite direction, though he hadn't turned around yet.

"I'm sorry," her voice cracked, trying to stay strong. This felt horrible. But, again, what else could she do?

"Mitchell, there's no us," the nail in the coffin.

"I'm late for Spanish," he said in a low voice, struggling with the lump that had built in his throat. With another deep breath, followed by a sniff, he walked away.

**:::In Dreaming:::**

Wearing his long-sleeve Avengers shirt, Mitchell was heading down the school hallways en route to his next class when he was approached from behind by none other than Quinn Fabray. She reached her hand, touching his shoulder as he snapped around, aggravated, angry...

"I'll go away, okay?" tears in his eyes that didn't spill, "I'll leave you alone, I promise."

"Don't act like this, Mitchell," she was frustrated, "We need to resolve this. We need to sort through these feelings."

He rubbed a hand over his head, sighing, trying to keep his cool even though he was breaking apart inside, "Look, it was just Bryan Ryan got to me. He got to all of us... And, what can I say, Quinn? I can't get over you."

That's when it dawned on him that there was nobody else in the school. But, before he could speak, Quinn had something to say...

"What if I don't want you to?" a question that seemed too good to be true. Fake, surreal.

This was a dream. Just another dream starring the two of them. Though, it felt oddly different than the ones before.

Mitchell found hope in her words, remembering back to what Mr. Schuester had told them all about believing in their dreams. But, he couldn't be sure, "Wh-what do you mean?"

"I don't want you to be over me," an honest truth, "I think... maybe... we should..."

Where was the cracking? The crumbling? Was it just waiting to be sudden? Waiting for just the right moment to strike like a damn vampire waiting in the shadows?

Mitchell didn't know what to say, so he dared himself to let his actions speak. He did, in the form of leaning over to kiss Quinn gently and quickly on the lips. He pulled back, shy and unsure, half-expecting a slap across the face.

They just stared at each other, a slight curve in the corner of Quinn's lips assuring Mitchell that there would be no slap.

"I've liked you for a long time," she admitted, unable to believe that she actually was, "Ever since that day at the gift shop when you hugged me."

Mitchell chuckled through a breath, having trouble accepting this, "I swear, if you're joking..."

She interrupted, the cracking noises beginning, "If I was joking, would I do this..." she kissed him as the noises became louder and the hallway trembled below their feet.

The ceiling started crumbling, little pieces falling down around the two as they kissed each other, locked in an embrace. The world collapsed down around them into nothing more than rubble, but neither cared...

**:::Reality:::**

Quinn Fabray sat up in bed, hair a mess, trying to make sense of what she had just experienced in her dream. Her dream. Not Mitchell's. She plopped back down, head hitting the fluffy pillow...

"It's not over yet, is it?"

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

_There you have it. One step closer to the finale. Originally, the dreams were going to be much longer and were going to be different Whedon products... Buffy, Dollhouse, Firefly and Dr. Horrible. But, they didn't turn out like I was thinking, so I just went a different route. Perhaps a bit too different with the third dream. I went a little too deep on that one, feel free to call me out on it. I just wanted this different world, different speech, and got carried away. It's kinda distracting, so I apologize. The Dr. Horrible idea may make an appearance in Season two._

_Thanks to Soulless for letting me rip off the Quitchell duet. Check his story for the real deal._

_I'm not sure when Theatricality will be out as I'm going to be devoting most my free time this week to my Thor and Iron Man projekts that I'm behind on. But, it won't be too long._


	21. Theatricality

I'm hoping that by outright lying about taking another break, that everyone will be genuinely surprised to find these next three chapters so soon.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 21 - "Theatricality"**

She just looked so... Different. She wasn't... herself. And, to be honest, it was really messing with everyone's minds.

Once everyone was seated in the Glee room, they all were given a close look at the brand new Tina Cohen-Chang. Due to him believing her to be a vampire, Principal Figgins threatened suspension or worse if Tina didn't start dressing as what he and the school board perceived to be normal.

"It's so weird," Artie commented.

As did Finn, "This so isn't you."

"It's like you're not Tina anymore," Mitchell said, "I don't like it. I feel like we lost another Glee member. I want our Tina back."

Tina didn't even feel like herself anymore, "I feel like an Asian Branch Davidian."

"Maybe there's another look you could try?" Mr. Schuester offered.

"Biker chick?"

No!

"Cowgirl?"

No!

"Hood rat?"

No!

"Computer programmer."

No!

"Cross-country skier?"

No!

"Jinx?"

No!

"Catholic schoolgirl?"

No!

"A Happy Meal, no onions. Or... A chicken?"

NO!

"I've got it," Mitchell spoke loudly, surprising everyone, "Psylocke from the X-Men!"

Okay, that's just wrong. And...

No!

"Look, I appreciate it, guys," Tina finally said, "But, it just isn't me. I know who I am, and I'm not allowed to express myself. It's like communism."

"Guys," Rachel stormed the choir room, "We have a serious problem! You know how I've been doing some deep background checks on Vocal Adrenaline?"

"Isn't that against the rules?" Artie asked, Mitchell wondering the same thing.

"No, not at all. Or probably," Rachel tripped over her words, "Whatever. Just... Listen to this; What I figured out, I rooted through the dumpsters behind the Carmel auditorium and I found eighteen empty boxes of Christmas lights."

"Oh no," Tina gasped.

"Wait... What?" Mitchell didn't understand why that was significant at all.

Rachel continued, "Which led me to Joelle Fabrics. I asked them about the red chantilly lace, and they were sold out!"

"Oh sweet Jesus," Mercedes nearly fainted.

"Oh my," Kurt was about ready to have a heart attack.

"Let me repeat Mitchell here," Mr. Schuester said, "_What_?"

"They're doing Gaga," Kurt informed the un-informed.

"That's it," Mercedes was ready to admit defeat, "It's over. Anyone got a towel we can throw in?"

"Exactly!" even Rachel was ready to accept a loss?

"We should have guessed it. They're going for full-out theatricality. They know it's the easiest way to beat us. Damn them!" Kurt rambled on and on.

"What's up with this Gaga dude, anyway?" Puck wanted to know, "He just, like, dresses weird, right? Like Bowie?"

"Lady Gaga is a woman!" Kurt quickly took offense, "And only the biggest pop act to come along in decades. She's boundary-pushing! Get it right, Puck! GET IT RIGHT!"

Holy crap!

Kurt wasn't done yet, "The single most theatrical performer of our generation. She changes her look faster than Britt changes sexual partners!"

"That's true," Brittany agreed.

"It makes sense that Vocal Adrenaline would do this. It's a brilliant move. She's perfect for them."

Mr. Schuester had an idea, "Wait, hold on a second. We might be able to kill two birds with one stone here. We can help Tina find a new look and find a competitive number for Regionals."

"This week, your assignment; Gaga."

"Aw man," Mitchell didn't want to do Gaga, "I don't wanna do Lady Gaga."

That... Sounded... Wrong.

**:::In The Halls:::**

The next day at school, Mitchell happened upon a couple of his Glee mates; Kurt and Tina. They were dressed in full Gaga. Mitchell had to hand it to them. Even if he wanted to go through with the assignment and deck himself out in Gaga, he would never have the gumption to go through it.

"Oh my god, you guys look incredible," Mitchell laughed as his friends struck a quick pose, "How did you come up with these in one night?"

"Gaga motivates like no other," Kurt answered.

"You saw how desperate I was for a new look," Tina explained, "I jumped on this like nobody's business."

"Like I said; Incredible," Mitchell repeated his praise.

"What about you?" Kurt asked, "You're creative, I'd thought you would jump at the chance for a little theatricality."

"And get bullied like you guys just were?" Mitchell wasn't brave enough, "Plus, I'm not really a fan of Lady Gaga, anyway."

"I see your hesitance," Kurt understood, "But, when will you ever have this chance again?"

"Kurt's right," Tina said, "We're too old for Halloween, and we're not popular, so the chances of getting invited to a costume party are non existent. We may never have the chance to dress up like this again. Why not make the most of it while we can?"

"Sometimes, Mitchell, you just gotta live."

Then Kurt and Tina went about their business, leaving Mitchell with something to think about.

**:::Mr. Schuester's Office:::**

"Ah, Mitchell, you just missed Finn."

"Oh."

"And don't worry, I gave your guys' Kiss idea the go-ahead."

"Actually, Mr. Schue," Mitchell couldn't believe he was doing this, "That's not why I'm here. Well... I guess it is... In a way. Not exactly, I mean."

"All right," Mr. Schuester set aside his work to listen to the student, "What's on your mind?"

"I want to be theatrical, too. Just... Not with Lady Gaga or Kiss. I mean... If that's okay?"

Mr. Schuester was perfectly fine with that, "Just as long as you're theatrical, that's okay."

"Cool," Mitchell turned to leave, "Thanks, Mr. Schuester."

"Hold on," Will stopped him, "Aren't you going to tell me what you're gonna do?"

Mitchell half-smiled, "It's a surprise."

**:::Glee Club:::**

"Little monsters, take a bow."

The following day had come and it was time for the Glee girls - and Kurt - to show off their Gaga outfits. They all looked really good. Theatricality was put on display in only a way that New Directions could do it. Plus, they were each having a blast.

"Sientate," Mr. Schue used Spanish for a second, "Impressive, ladies. And, you know what the best part about this is? Each one of your costumes shows off a different aspect of your personalities."

"Wait, where's Rachel and Mitchell?" Puck had noticed the two of them were absent from the meeting, "Oh no, she's not Gaga'ing him, is she?"

Mr. Schuester smiled, "As far as Mitchell; I am very proud to say that he's likely busy crafting an outfit. I don't know what it is yet - although, I do know that it's not Gaga inspired - But, he seems really excited about getting theatrical."

Kurt and Tina flashed a brief knowing look of accomplishment to each other.

"Rachel kinda got some intense news yesterday," Mercedes announced to the club.

Quinn jumped in, "We were spying on Vocal Adrenaline and..."

Mr. Schuester quickly interjected, "Guys, that's not fair. You gotta stop doing that. But, uh... you know... what'd you find out?"

"Ya'll ready for a bomb?" Mercedes, "Ms. Corcoran - their coach - is Rachel's mom."

"Are you serious?" Will was stunned.

"Way to bury the lead Mercedes," Artie mumbled.

"We're screwed," Puck saw it a mile away, "Rachel's gonna jump ship over to Vocal Adrenaline!"

"Never," everyone looked to the door, seeing Rachel, and holy crap she was covered in Beanie Babies, "I really don't want to talk about it, though. I'm still processing the news. And, my dads are moving my therapist to our spare room later this afternoon. A-A-All I know is that I'm not going anywhere, and I've chosen a Lady Gaga look that expresses the longing for a childhood I was deprived of."

"You look terrible," Brittany with the awesome one-liners, "I look awesome."

"And we have a jumper," Kurt remarked as a beanie fell, then he quickly gasped as his eyes went wide and his lips curved in an excited smile, "Oh my goodness, Mitchell Marcus Mason!"

"I believe this is yours, milady," Mitchell leaned over, picking up Rachel's beanie baby and sticking it back on her outfit.

There was Mitchell Mason as had never been seen before. For starters, he was decked out in a slick black suit. With shoes to match, by the way. But, it wasn't just the suit. It was that he was painted in full make-up... Eyes with thick black circles around them. Lips colored black with stitching-like black going up almost to his ears with little lines sprinkled throughout.

"Jack Skellington!" Tina exclaimed excitedly, "I love the Nightmare Before Christmas!"

"As far as animated musicals go," Kurt said, "It does rank up there."

"What the hell, dude?" Puck just shook his head. The guys didn't share the girls' enthusiasm.

"Well, I, for one, am a fan of the Nightmare Before Christmas," Mr. Schuester surprised everyone, "It truly was a first of its kind. Mitchell, show us what you..."

The music started, Mitchell jumping into character...

"_Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws?_" he asked.

He raised a hand, "_I wanna do it!_"

Then brought it down, "_Let's draw straws_!"

He slapped himself, "_Jack said we should work together._"

"_Three of a kind! Birds of a feather! Now and forever!_"

"_Da lalalalala lalalalalala. La lalalalalala lalalalalala! Kidnap the Sandy Claws, lock him up real tight. Throw away the key and then turn off all the lights._"

Mitchell played like he was a scheming henchman, telling the Gleeks his plan, "_First we're gonna set some bait inside a nasty trap and wait. When he comes a-sniffing we will snap the trap and close the gate._"

Then Mitchell straightened, extending a pointer finger and raising his arm up high, voice getting louder, "_Wait, I got a better plan to catch this big red lobster man. Let's pop him in a boiling pot and when he's done, we'll butter him up._"

Mitchell returned to normal, "_Kidnap the Sandy Claws, throw him in a box. Bury him for ninety years, then see if he talks._"

"_Then Mr. Oogie Boogie Man can take this whole thing over then,_" he declared proudly, "_He'll be so pleased I do declare, that he will cook him rare!_"

Mitchell spun happily as the music continued, arms out-stretched, the club getting a kick out of his performance.

Back to the scheming, approaching Quinn, talking with his hands, "_I say that we take a cannon, aim at his door and then knock three times and when he answers, Sandy Claws will be no more!_" he giggled.

Then he straightened, a mean expression on his face, anger, "_You're so stupid, think now, if we blow him up to smithereens, we may lose some pieces and then Jack will beat us black and green!_"

Back to normal, a marching in place dance-step, "_Kidnap the Sandy Claws, tie him in a bag. Throw him in the ocean and see if he is sad._"

"_Because Mr. Oogie Boogie is the meanest guy around. If I were on his boogie list,_" his voice went very high as he explained, "_I'd get out of town_."

"_He'll be so pleased by our success,_" he sang to Tina, who was enjoying the whole performance, "_That he'll reward us too, I'll bet. Perhaps he'll make his special brew, of snake and spider stew._"

Mitchell moved through the seats, looking at everyone, "_We're his little henchmen and we take our job with pride. We do our best to please him and to stay on his good side._"

Then he stopped, "_I wish my cohorts weren't so dumb._"

"_I'm not the dumb one!_" he turned.

Turned again, "_You're no fun!_"

Then he roared as he stepped back onto the floor, facing away from the group, "_Shut up!_"

"_Make me!_"

Then he faced them once more, smiling again, fingers tapping each other, his voice childish and mischievous, "_I got something, now listen. This is real good, you'll see. We'll send him a present to his door, upon there will be a note to read. Now in the box we'll wait and hide. Until his curiosity entices him to look inside. Then we will have him one two three!_"

Then he moved to Rachel, circling around her as she stood, a crazed look to his black eyes, a wicked grin on his face, inches away from her, "_Kidnap the Sandy Claws, beat him with a stick! Lock him up for ninety years and see what makes him tick!_"

He continued the haunting tone of voice, still at Rachel, "_Kidnap the Sandy Claws, chop him into bits! Then Mr. Oogie Boogie is sure to get his kicks!_"

On the next beat, she joined in with him, "_Kidnap the Sandy Claws, see what we will see! Lock him in the cage and then throw away the key!_"

The performance finished, Mitchell took a bow to an applause.

"Now, ladies," Mitchell stepped to the side, "I hand the floor to you."

They then performed an expert version of 'Bad Romance.'

**:::In The Halls:::**

What an amazing performance. Lady Gaga would have been proud. In high spirits, Mitchell was heading down the halls still dressed in his Jack Skellington best when he was met by two people he seriously did not want to come across while wearing a full costume...

"Tell me something, Dave. How does someone go from kicking it with Santana Lopez to dressing up like a damn skeleton fairy?"

"Let's call it... Falling from the top of the ladder."

"Skellington," Mitchell corrected them quietly, trying to get past, "It's from Nightmare Before Christmas."

"Damn, Mitchell, you showed some serious potential, too," Azimio recalled what he thought of as Mitchell's glory days, "Could have been gold. But, you decided to ditch it for Camp Faggy."

"Don't say that," Mitchell warned, though his tone of voice was anything but threatening.

Karofsky shoved him lightly just enough to intimidate, "What you gonna do about it?"

"Just leave us alone," Mitchell was getting more nervous by the second.

"Gettin' ancy for some man love, huh?" Azimio with some more, "That damn Hummel plague is spreading."

"You guys suck, you know that?" Mitchell spoke louder, finally being able to get past the two bullies, "You just... Really suck!"

Then they started chasing him down the halls...

"SORRY! SORRY!"

**:::Glee Club:::**

An uneventful 48 hours passed by - at least for Mitchell, which was welcomed - and minus the Jack Skellington make-up, he had returned for another Glee meeting. This one coming off the heels of the rest of the guys performing a Kiss number. Which, Mitchell had admit, was definitely a highlight. He was actually a little regretful that he opted for a solo performance rather than participating with the group. But, there would be other opportunities.

Mitchell noted that something must have happened between Finn and Kurt, as there seemed to be some tension and regret from both of them. However, Mitchell just kept quiet, waiting for Mr. Schuester to come. And, speak of the devil...

"All right, let's get started..."

But, Mr. Schuester was cut off by Puckerman coming in behind him, "Mr. Schue, I have something I want to say to Quinn. And... I want everybody else to hear it, too."

"Okay," Mr. Schue gave him the floor.

Everyone waited, listening. Especially Quinn.

"At first, I didn't get the whole theatrical assignment. You know, being all larger than life and putting it all out there. 'Cause, let's be honest, I'm pretty much like that all the time," he paused for a second, "It's how my dad was too. He was too busy being all crazy and rock and roll to be there for his kid. And, you know what? I didn't care that my dad was a bad-ass. I just wanted him to be there, and he never was."

Mitchell suddenly found himself feeling less animosity towards Puck. Not because of pitying him or feeling bad. It was just... Something about how he was coming out with all this. The sincerity, the genuine way he was speaking. The honesty. It was to be admired. Even though this was winning Quinn over greatly at the same time.

"Then I learned all this Kiss stuff and while Jackie Daniels is a great name for a power boat or something. It's not right for a baby girl. So, if my Kiss-mates will help me out, I got a better idea. Grab a stool, guys."

Finn, Artie, Mike and Matt all headed down. Surprising everyone, Jack also stood, going over to the piano after exchanging whispers with Puck. Mitchell suddenly felt very awkward. He wondered if he should go down there too, or what? He didn't know, and didn't want to step on any toes, either.

Then, lead by Puck, they went through 'Beth'. Mitchell sat quietly, trying to watch Quinn from the corner of his eye, seeing the look on her face. Puck was reaching her. Like, really genuinely reaching her. It was heartfelt, and she even had tears starting to flow. Mitchell then saw the look on Puck's face, how much he at least appeared to actually care.

Puck was a better fit for Quinn than Mitchell was. There could be no denying that anymore.

The song ended, and Puck walked over to Quinn, "I know that you want to give her away. But, before you do, I think you should name her Beth. And, I know that we've had this on-again off-again relationship. But, I think we should make it official. I want to be with you - only you - if you'll let me. And, if it would be okay, I'd like to be there when she's born."

Tearful, Quinn nodded her head before standing up and giving Puck a hug, which he returned.

Mitchell just kind of looked away.

**:::Glee Club:::**

For the meeting at the end of the week, New Directions had decided amongst themselves to all dress in their theatricality costumes one more time and surprise Mr. Schuester.

"Whoah!" Mr. Schue laughed as he walked into the room, surprised, "Guys, why are you all in your theatricality costumes?"

"I haven't taken mine off yet," Brittany mentioned, getting a chuckle out of Mitchell aka Jack Skellington.

Artie spoke up, "It's the end of the week. We were kind of hoping to learn what the lesson of the assignment was."

"Yeah," Mitchell followed Artie, wiggling an itchy nose, "We all had a good time, but we're wondering... what for?"

"Well," Mr. Schuester started, "You guys have had some great numbers this week, but I'm not sure I know either."

"Stands to reason," Jack remarked and everyone laughed.

"I do," Tina entered, revealing herself to have returned to her normal attire, which everyone was very glad to see, "I refuse to dress like somebody I'm not to be somebody."

"Whoo!" Mitchell applauded.

"And," she wasn't done yet, "I learned it's good to be a little theatrical at times."

She then proceeded to explain to the club how she managed to talk Principal Figgins into letting her go back to the way she wanted to dress.

Now everyone was clapping as Tina bowed, finally smiling once again.

Jack had something to say, "I'm impressed. There may be something to you after all, Jinx."

"I'll take that as a compliment," she said, "Thanks, Jack."

**:::Guidance Office:::**

"Wow," Emma laughed, "Mitchell, I love your costume."

"Thanks," Mitchell somewhat smiled, seeming to be a bit nervous as he entered the office, taking a seat in the usual place.

Emma instantly sensed something was amiss with the teenager, "Are you all right, Mitchell?"

He shrugged, eyes shifting around, "Umm... I'm, like, supposed to tell you this."

"Okay."

He sat up, taking a deep breath, "A couple weeks ago, Quinn pretty much told me that there's no chance we'll end up together. And then her and Puck made it official this week that they're an honest couple. And..." he hesitated, obvious difficulty in accepting the truth.

Emma gave him time.

"I told my parents about how bad I've been feeling lately, and they said... sent... me to a therapist. And," he was struggling with this, "He said that my main problem is anxiety. So, he prescribed anti-anxiety medication. I guess it's supposed to clear my head and help me focus. Well... and get rid of the anxiety I have over Quinn."

"Okay," Emma nodded, "Well, thank you for letting me know. It is school policy that I be told if a student is on a form that medication."

Mitchell swallowed, "I had a question, too."

Emma gestured for him to continue.

"It'll fix me, right?"

"Fix... you?" that wasn't appropriate, "Mitchell, you're not broken."

"I can't get over her," Mitchell confessed, "No matter what I try. If this doesn't work, what am I supposed to do?"


	22. Funk

Under no circumstances should what Mitchell does in this chapter ever be done in real life because it's actually very dangerous. Just wanted to say that quickly.

**GLEE: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 22 - "Funk"**

**Mitchell Mason and Santana Lopez were currently in bed, very much on the journey to what Mitchell thought of as the path to greatness and enlightenment. Yes, they were back together. And yes, Santana was now more than willing to finally give up the goods. At the moment, they were kissing, hands all over the place, Santana's leg curled up against Mitchell's hip. They weren't there yet, as they still had all their clothes on, but they were on the journey.**

**Then something happened.**

_I know what you're thinking. You hate it when you're dropped right in the middle something. But, to be honest, in that moment, that's exactly how I felt. My eyes opened and I realized something. But, if I told you what that was right now, then there'd be no story, right? So, let me start by going to the beginning. See, everything started when..._

Courtesy of a mass text message from Jesse, New Directions had gathered in the auditorium, Mitchell standing with Quinn. Imagine everyone's surprise when they arrived and there was Jesse St. James on stage with Vocal Adrenaline. Which, by the way, how the hell did they get in without anyone noticing?

"This is freaking me out," Mitchell whispered, "Are they gonna jump us?"

"You're always so nervous," Santana spat, "God, it's so annoying."

"I agree," Jack shared the sentiment.

"Guys," Finn spoke up, "Maybe now's not the best time for bickering?"

"Jesse? What is this? What's going on?" Rachel asked, standing in front of everyone. She wasn't sure what to feel, how to act. All she knew at the moment was that she didn't want to jump to any conclusions, "What are you doing with _them_?"

Jesse stood tall and smug, "I've transferred back to Carmel High School. I'm sorry that it's come to this," he didn't look all that sorry, to be honest, "But, you guys were awful to me. You never listened to a word I ever said, never even entertained the thought of my many superior ideas. You never accepted me as one of your own, so I've decided to return to Vocal Adrenaline."

"Fine," Finn stepped up, "Then why are you in our auditorium? If you're back with them, then go back to your own school too!"

Jesse responded quickly, "The buzz on the Internet is that Vocal Adrenaline is finished and New Directions are ripe to take the throne. So, we just wanted to show you a little something that we came up with a few days ago, to see if you agree with that assessment."

Uh-oh...

"They're gonna shoot!" Mitchell exclaimed, diving behind a row of seats, "HIT THE DECK!"

Of course, that wasn't the case. Vocal Adrenaline performed a flawless rendition of 'Another One Bites the Dust'. To be honest, by the time it was done, Mitchell kinda wished they did shoot them down. Especially when he saw Rachel's saddened facial expression.

**:::Guidance Office:::**

Mitchell sat in the chair opposite Ms. Pillsbury. He was still on edge from the Vocal Adrenaline bombshell that had just been dropped. Now, while he wasn't the only one reeling from the performance, no one seemed to be shook up like he was. Mitchell had been pretty rattled by the experience. And, Ms. Pillsbury had a good idea of why...

"You haven't started taking your pills, have you?"

Mitchell sighed, visibly on edge, "Nope, nope, nope. I tried one and I didn't like how they made me feel. It was just... weird. The thing is, too, I've been hyper ever since. I don't think I should take anymore, Ms. Pillsbury. Not a one."

"Mitchell," Emma was sympathetic, yet saw the need to push a little, "I've talked to Mr. Schuester and your other teachers. They all said the same thing; You've been acting erratic and wired."

"It'll pass."

"You must be exhausted," she said, "I can't imagine having my mind racing constantly."

Mitchell didn't want to take his pills.

"What do your parents think?"

"We've kinda been over this," he said politely, "They don't notice. It's almost like they've been blocking me out since everything happened with Coach Sylvester."

"What about your friends in Glee?"

Mitchell sighed, "No one knows."

"You don't have to feel like this anymore, Mitchell. You can feel better. I understand you not wanting to take the pills, but they will help you to calm down."

"I just need to get over Quinn."

"Mitchell, you won't be able to do anything if you're constantly in a hyper state of mind," she needed to make him see the truth, for his own benefit, "I can't force you to do anything. But, I do really wish you would take your medicine."

Mitchell almost cried for a moment, but was able to keep it under wraps, "What if they change me? What if... I'm not the same person anymore? What if I take them to get over Quinn and she changes..."

Emma calmly interrupted, "The crush you have on Quinn is very sweet. But, it's just a crush. After awhile," she started envisioning her own feelings for one William Schuester, "You just have to realize that it's not going to happen, and it's not worth making yourself sick over."

Mitchell began truly entertaining the idea of taking the anti-anxiety medication. He did read that the odd sensations he was feeling when he tried them was normal, and that it would stop with longer use. Still, he didn't want to be somebody completely different. It was difficult enough being himself. Never mind some other person.

"I'm supposed to catch up with everyone in the music room," Mitchell said, checking the time.

"Okay," Emma nodded as Mitchell got up to leave, "But, please, think about what we talked about. They're meant to help you."

"Okay," Mitchell nodded as well, opening the door, "Thanks for the talk, Ms. Pillsbury."

**:::Glee Club:::**

_'Oh my god, I needs me pills!'_

_'What the hell happened? Frickin' Vocal Adrenaline toilet-papered the entire choir room. It was everywhere. I couldn't frickin' believe it when I walked in. I was almost too stunned to help. But, I still did. I ended up teaming-up with Brittany, trying to pull my weight in the clean-up. Wow, three ups in one sentence. That's gotta be some kinda record, right?'_

"I feel so violated," Tina said, "It's like someone broke into our home."

"Don't worry," Mr. Schuester tried to ease everyone's mind while helping to clean up, "It's just a dumb prank, guys. The fact that they're trying to get to us means maybe we got 'em a little spooked."

"That would be cool," Mitchell said, though he didn't believe it, "They didn't look very spooked when they were singing Queen, though."

"Mitchell's right," Mercedes had her hands full, "They're not spooked. They're Vocal Adrenaline. They're not afraid of anything. That number they did was friggin' fantastic. Which doesn't make sense. They had all that equipment and everything, how did they even get in?"

Cue The Beast...

"Easy answer," Sue Sylvester with a line of students behind her carrying trophies, "I gave 'em all keys. Helped 'em do a little sound check, too."

She lead the students to the back side of the choir room, "Right here, fellas. Let's punch out this wall right here, so we can open up some space."

"Sue, what are you doing?" Mr. Schuester asked.

"Can't talk now, William," she answered simply, "Drafting class, here, is helping me redecorate. You see, I have Nationals this weekend, and expect to return with a comically large first-place trophy for which I have absolutely no room in my trophy case for."

She kept going, "Just as soon as you hurry up and fail dramatically at Regionals, this choir room will become my official trophy annex."

_'Ms. Pillsbury was right; I need my pills.'_

"You know what it has too look like," Sue explained to her new henchmen, "Elvis's gold record room at Graceland. You know what I'm talking about, don't you? Except, of course, I'll be wanting far fewer morbidly obese white women waddling around and crying."

Mr. Schuester took a stand for all of the Glee Club, "Sue, get out of my room."

"Glee Clubbers," Sue spoke to the crowd, "For those of you whose hearing has not been damaged by alarmingly massive doses of Accutane, listen up."

Mitchell swallowed hard, sharing the same look of fear and worry that Rachel had on her face.

"In a few weeks, Glee Club will be finished. Now, how do I know that? I recently checked the odds with my Vegas bookie and he told me that you're 40-to-1 underdogs at Regionals. You are going to lose and your dreams will be crushed."

Enough was enough, "Sue, can I see your trophy?"

"Sure, Will. Hope and dream."

SMASH!

Mitchell fell out of his chair, smacking the floor with a combination smack and thud.

"Oops," Schuester wasn't sorry, "We dropped your trophy, Sue."

**:::Home:::**

That night, Mitchell sat on his bedroom floor playing Call of Duty on X-Box Live. Now, he never claimed to be the best at first-person shooter games. But, he liked to believe that he did have some talent. Alas, he was getting toasted every minute. His partner had gotten fed up and turned on him, which resulted in a pretty pathetic death that all the other gamers mocked him.

"Oh my god," he scoffed into the headset, "Brittany, what the hell, we're on the same team!"

Brittany's voice came through the headset, "Sorry, they tell me that I need to release my disappointment with other people before it turns into anger and I commit suicide again."

"Brittany," Mitchell tossed his controller, "You're still alive, you didn't commit suicide."

"Are you sure?"

Mitchell shut off the console and laid down on his floor, sprawled out, looking up at the ceiling. This wasn't helping to make him feel better. He happened to look to the side, his orange bottle of prescription pills catching his attention. Would he? Wouldn't he? Would they even help?

_'That's when something popped into my head that I didn't even consider before. The problem wasn't the pills as much as it was taking them one by one. Yeah, that's it! If I took more at a time, it'd help faster all around. So, that's exactly what I did. Although, seriously, don't try this at home.'_

Mitchell picked himself up, flicked the top off with his thumb and downed six pills like they were delicious Reese's Pieces. He noticed nothing at first, so he considered it a worse than he already did, he plopped down onto the bed and returned his gaze to the ceiling. At this point, what else could he do? He still felt crappy and these pills weren't...

"Hey, Mitchell," Brittany's voice at the foot of the bed, in front of the television, which didn't make sense.

Mitchell tilted his head forward and gasped, getting freaked, "Holy... What... How'd you... And what's that music..."

Brittany - dressed in 60's psychedelic hippie clothing - was standing at the foot of Mitchell's bed. Then he just drifted away into a fantasy land where everything was psychedelic colors and rock songs from the sixties.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Mitchell Mason walked into the choir room feeling fantastic. Better than he had in ages. That's right, ages. He waltzed in there dressed to impress, loving life, and sat himself down in between Brittany and Santana. He even had on these cheesy sunglasses and a multi-colored bandana.

"Uhh..." Santana was not cool with the move, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Chill," his response, "I'm just sittin', that's all I'm doin'. What are you doin'?"

Quinn cocked a brow from a seat behind. Matt and Mike just looked at each other. Kurt didn't know what the hell to think.

"Chill?" Santana responded, "Excuse me, but you don't..."

"Man," Mitchell shook his head, crossing his leg and turning to Brittany, away from Santana, "Is she always like this or what?"

Brittany shivered, "I just got a chill... 'Cause you're so cool."

Was Quinn hearing this right?

"Wow," Puck was impressed, "Who knew he had it in him?"

Finally, Mr. Schuester walked in and marched straight for the white-board, writing a word and then turning to his students, "Funk," he said, "Use it in a sentence."

Nobody.

"Come on," Mr. Schuester wanted participation, "Rachel, give it a go."

Rachel gave a deadpan response, "This cheese smells funky."

Puck couldn't resist, "That's because it's 'fromunda' cheese."

"Shut it, Puckerman!" Rachel shouted.

"Okay, okay," Mr. Schuester didn't have that in mind, "I was thinking more along the lines of..."

"I got this, Schuest," the new and improved Mitchell spoke up, yes meaning to say Schuest, and stood, joining the director, "Peep it, cats..."

What in the world was going on with Mitchell?

"... Listen to the word, listen ya heard?" Mitchell laughed, "That Santana Lopez knows how to bring da funk!"

Oooooooooooooooookay. No one knew how to react.

"All right, Mitchell," awkward to say the least, "Thanks for the contribution."

"No big, Schuest," Mitchell patted on the shoulder and then strutted back to his seat, an arm around each Cheerio. Legs crossed again as well.

Much like other members of New Directions, Kurt was in a funk, "I'm so depressed, I've worn the same outfit twice this week."

Mr. Schuester wanted to lift everyone up, or at least give them something to hold onto, "What if I told you I knew how we could topple Vocal Adrenaline at Regionals? I'm talking... Really crush them?"

That caught everyone's attention.

"New Directions is about to make their funk the P-Funk! We are gonna get funked up!"

"Awwwww yeah!" Mitchell exclaimed.

"And, the only way to do that is to beat them at Regionals. Listen, Vocal Adrenaline has never once done a funk number. Guys, they're a machine. A collective, synthesized, soulless beat. Funk is soul meets anger!"

"Schuest bringin' the heat!" Mitchell cheered, "Love it!"

Mr. Schuester wasn't finished yet, "Funk's passion is in its emotion. And Vocal Adrenaline doesn't perform with any. So, that's your assignment for the week. I want you guys to turn McKinley High into Funkytown!"

"You guys can relax," Mercedes assured the club, "I got this one covered."

"Hold on a second," Quinn spoke up before the chance was lost, "Hold on a second. I want a chance to get funky, too."

Everyone laughed, even Mitchell, though his was much more loud and he chose to then stand up and stagger around a little.

"Good one, Quinn," Mercedes tried calming down, "It even sounds funny when you say it."

Quinn, however, was all business, "You said funk was about soul and anger. I have plenty of both. Look at me and my life. I'm frickin' furious!"

"Let's be honest," Mercedes again, "When white people try to get funky, they end up looking like KC and the Sunshine Band."

Mitchell took a little offense, and so did Quinn, "Mercedes' racism aside, I will have a number prepared for tomorrow."

"All right," Mr. Schuester clapped his hands, "Quinn goes first."

**:::In the Halls:::**

Mitchell was on his way to the cafeteria for the lunch period when he was stopped by none other than Santana Lopez. She was a bit more than curious about his recent change in attitude and personality. This meant she needed a few questions answered...

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, annoyed as usual.

"Say what?"

She crossed her arms, "Is this some self-empowerment way to get over Quinn or something? C'mon, spill it, just tell me what's up."

Mitchell shrugged, suddenly feeling a tired sensation washing over him. Uh-oh... The pills were wearing off.

_'Remember that for later.'_

Mitchell just kinda shrugged, "I'm already over Quinn."

Santana feigned a chuckle, amused by the statement, "Oh, right. Trust me, not even Finn is over Quinn and he's been drooling over Rachel ever since Sectionals."

Mitchell sighed, now the one that was annoyed, "Look, I just figured I'd try a different personality for awhile to get out of my funk. And, to be real, I don't care what you think about it, because it's working."

He sped up his pace, pulling away from Santana who now seemed genuinely interested in Mitchell once again.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Front page news; Mitchell and Santana. Mantana and/or Satchell had reunited. New Directions was a bit surprised, to say the least. Though, not as surprised as they were when Mitchell strutted into the choir room not twenty-four hours previous. And now, he was wearing sunglasses.

After the school bell rang, signifying the official start of the class, "Okay, Quinn, time to show us your funky side."

"For some of us," apparently, she had a bit of a monologue prepared, "Just simply getting to class takes a little bit longer. When you're pregnant, you're responsible for two lives," she was now standing in the middle of the room, "And you're walking down the hallways of McKinley High School oppressed by the man."

"Oh my goodness," Mercedes sighed as everyone quickly became uncomfortable with the number even though it hadn't technically started yet, "She is not about to go there."

Yep, she was, "Hearing people call you fat. Sometimes it hurts."

"Only sometimes?" Mitchell wondered quietly.

"Sometimes, you have to stop and hold that precious life and say... No."

"This is pretty offensive," Artie mentioned, "Who are these girls?" he asked as six pregnant students entered the choir room.

"We are the Unwed Mothership Connection," Quinn announced to the club, "And that's exactly what we're here to sing about."

And then Quinn began performing her song. And, even Mitchell, in his anti-anxiety medication induced funky state, had to admit... It was just wrong. Quinn's abilities weren't in question. It was the execution. The way the pregnant chicks were swaying and dancing around. It was just awkward and uncomfortable. Not the first time such a feeling was felt in the choir room. Obviously, not the last, either.

However, as a sign of solidarity before the impending Regionals competition, the group - save for Mercedes - decided to go up and congratulate Quinn and the pregnant ladies on a job well done.

_'Quinn and the Pregnant Ladies? Sounds like a band gone wrong. Or maybe... gone right?'_

**:::The Cheerleader Apocalypse:::**

Shock, awe, jaw-dropping turn of events. That's all Mitchell could think of as he waltzed into McKinley High the very next day. Everywhere, the Cheerios squad was crying, drowning in tears. He quickly found Santana with her hair a mess, clutching tightly a box of tissues and mumbling something about...

"Daddy? Daddy?"

He rushed over to her, "What's wrong?"

She just mumbled incoherently.

"Santana?" he kept asking, hands on her shoulders, this fast becoming a sobering experience, being passed by a Cheerio eating her own hair like string cheese, "What happened?"

Then came Mr. Schuester around the corner, just as taken by surprise as Mitchell had been, "Mitchell, tell me you know what's happening. There's Cheerios everywhere falling apart."

Santana just walked away, still mumbling, still not making any sense at all. That's when Mr. Schuester and Mitchell spotted Kurt closing his locker. Mr. Schue was the one to speak, "Kurt, what's going on with the Cheerios?"

Kurt had the answer, "Coach Sylvester won't get out of bed. We haven't had practice in days. It's the closest thing to an actual zombie epidemic that I've ever seen. I'm fine because I have Glee, but these girls have sort of lost it."

As the three of them walked, they passed by two more and Kurt continued, "No Nationals means that four of the girls will lose their college scholarships, and the rest are just plain depressed and confused."

They were passed by Brittany begging nerds for help.

"Talk about a funk," Mitchell commented.

"It's really hard to feel bad for Sue Sylvester," Kurt said, "She does not need another trophy. But, some of these girls really do. Very badly. It's all they live for."

**:::Elsewhere:::**

Talk about being in a funk, Quinn truly felt like she was in one. No, scratch that, she didn't feel like it. She was honest to goodness face-down in one. She felt bad for so many different reasons. She didn't dare count them on her fingers, for fear of running out. So, during a free period, she chose to sit alone and study, maybe do some quiet reflecting.

Her quiet reflection was cut shirt, though, when Mercedes took a seat at her table, wanting to have a talk. She remembered how Quinn approached her awhile ago when she was dating Puck, and wanted to return the favor as a sign of friendship. She also had an idea as well.

"Mercedes, I'm so sorry," Quinn immediately apologized.

"You may not be a minority, but you certainly get how I feel sometimes."

"For nine months," Quinn responded, "You've had to deal with this your whole life. People making assumptions, calling you names. I seriously cannot understand why you don't feel like yelling at people, or just outright attacking them."

"That's the thing. What's the point in getting angry?"

Quinn explained, "Because it's infuriating. I hate all the looks at school. Don't even get me started on Puck's mom, or Puck himself. I mean, they're both trying really hard, but it's like they don't truly get what I'm going through, and they end up offending me without even realizing it."

"You're not angry," Mercedes cleared it up for Quinn, "You're hurt. And what you need more than anything is some place safe where you can dig through all that rage and get to the pain beneath it. So, it's decided," she dropped a bombshell, "Saturday, you move out of Puck's house and you move in with me."

Quinn didn't know what to say.

"I already talked to my mom about it," Mercedes said, "My brother went off to college and we have an extra room. It'll be cool. Us sisters gotta stick together, right?" and then she raised a fist and Quinn bumped knuckles with her.

"I..."

"Now, let's talk about Mitchell..."

"No," Quinn couldn't get into that right now, "I'm sorry, but that's a really sensitive subject lately. Plus, I pretty much broke his heart."

"He's been in love with you ever since I met him, and it's never gone away," Mercedes said, "And, I know you well enough now, to know that somewhere deep down, you care about him too."

Quinn could only sigh.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Jesse St. James; Wanted; Dead or Alive. Preferably... DEAD!

Rachel sat in the middle of everyone in the music room, relaying the events that transpired in the parking lot, having to do with a Jesse St. James lead Vocal Adrenaline attacking her with eggs. An attempt to not only break the New Directions' will, but their spirit and camaraderie. A clever tactic, but not one that would go un-punished.

"And now I just keep having nightmares of all tht mothers of the little baby chicks coming after me for revenge, pecking my eyes out and scratching me with that weird thing they do with their feet."

"Bullshit!" Puck was ready for action, "Finn, Mike, Matt, Jack and even Kurt and Funky Mitchell, it's time to roll out!"

_'Transformers... Robots in Disguise! Ahem, sorry, couldn't resist.'_

"Right on," Finn said as the boys joined Puck, "Time for less talking and more punching."

"Now they're really gonna visit Funkytown," Mitchell said, "Location? The wrong side of the tracks!"

_'Wait... Did I say that right?'_

"No one messes with _my_..." Jack cleared his throat, "_Our_ Rachel Berry and gets away with it!"

"Hey," Mr. Schue stepped into the room, blocking the boys' path, "What's all the excitement?

Finn explained on the group's behalf, "We're on our way to go all Braveheart on Vocal Adrenaline!"

"Guys, violence is never the answer," Mr. Schuester said, thinking of recent events with Sue.

"Oh, it is when the question is what's the best way to mess up that Jesse kid's face! Am I right, gentlemen?"

"Yeah!"

"Mr. Schue," Kurt was even amped up, "Rachel's one of us. We're the only ones who get to humiliate her."

Okay, that was one way of putting it.

"If we let them get away with this, we might as well kiss a win at Regionals goodbye," Jack said and they all walked past Mr. Schuester until he managed to yell at them...

"Get back here and sit down!"

Kurt was first, followed by Mitchell, then Mike and Matt. Finn, Puck and Jack stood their ground, though, "Look, I know from experience that making someone else suffer doesn't make your pain go away. It does nothing but make things ten times worse. You're all amazing and incredibly talented, no matter what Vocal Adrenaline says or does. What we need is to just find a way to remind ourselves of that. To..."

"No," Jack was adamant, "Not to sound redundant, but no no no no no!" he pointed at Rachel, "What they did to her was horrible, and I am so tired of trying to be nice and trying to let everything roll off our backs. Look where it's gotten us. Constant Slushee Facials, and bullying from the neanderthals."

"Jack," Rachel spoke, "Mr. Schuester's right, violence isn't the answer."

"Schuest spits truth," Mitchell said, everyone looking at him.

"I'll agree, violence isn't the answer," Jack said, "But, there are other ways to retaliate. Other means of revenge."

"I'm with Jack on this one," Finn shouted, "We can't just let Vocal Adrenaline get away with turning Rachel into an omelet!"

"We're not. Rachel, dial Jesse's number on..."

"I mean no disrespect, but nothing you all do will be satisfying enough," Jack took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, I can't let them get away with this. I'm going to take care of it on my own."

"Dude, what are you saying?"

**:::Mitchell and Santana:::**

Mitchell Mason and Santana Lopez were currently in bed, very much on the journey to what Mitchell thought of as the path to greatness and enlightenment. Yes, they were back together. And yes, Santana was now more than willing to finally give up the goods. At the moment, they were kissing, hands all over the place, Santana's leg curled up against Mitchell's hip. They weren't there yet, as their clothes were still on, but they were on the journey.

"How's it feel to do it with a champion?" Santana asked between kisses and heavy breathing.

"Groovy," Mitchell whispered.

Then they rolled, Santana now on top, straddling his stomach, "You ready?"

"You know it," he smiled confidently before his eyes crossed and closed. When they opened, he didn't see Santana, he saw Quinn. Speaking of violence, the image violently snapped him back to reality, killing any effect the overdose of anti-anxiety pills had ever had. His confidence and funky attitude were replaced by no confidence and sweaty palms.

Santana was just ready to lift her Cheerios outfit up when she noticed the different right away, "Oh god, you have got to be kidding me."

Mitchell tried acting, "What you mean, fine thang?"

"Ugh," she had a bad taste, "I think I just threw up a little in my mouth." she rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom, "What are you, on drugs or something? Unbelievable. Consider us broken up. I should have known..." and the door shut behind her.

Mitchell sighed, laying back in the bed. This infatuation with Quinn had taken over his life. No more pretending it was over or trying to live with it. It had to be taken care of. He needed to end it. Mitchell needed to kill his feelings for Quinn. No more excuses, no more reasons for holding, no more half-baked schemes.

It had to be Mitchell doing it for himself. And, damn it, it was decided upon right then and there... By the end of Regionals, Mitchell Mason would no longer be in love with Quinn Fabray.

_'What am I gonna do? I have to get over Quinn. I have to move on with my life. But, how the hell can I do that? It has to be something big. Something cruel. Sorry in advance, Quinn, but it's just something I have to do.'_


	23. Journey To Regionals Season Finale

The Season Finale... It's been a wild ride since October when I started this. A big thanks to all of the supporters, no matter how big or small. And now... Here... We... Go!

**Glee: A Different Point of View**

**Chapter 23 - "Journey To Regionals"**

_Here I am, beside myself again_

_I'm torn apart by words that you have said_

_And, all in all, __I know we're falling apart_

_Where did you run so far away?_

_And here we are to sing you song_

_And there you are asleep against the window pane, just like always_

_You said you like to hear the rain sometimes_

_And all I can do is tell you the truth_

_And oh, my eyes will tell you the same_

_And here we are to sing you a song_

_And there you are asleep again_

_And here we are to sing you a song_

_And there you are asleep again!_

_Grasp our hands _

_Together, we feel we are one result_

_Grasp our hands_

_Together, we feel we are one result_

_Grasp our hands_

_Together, we feel we are one result_

_And here we are to sing you a song_

_And there you are asleep again_

_And here we are to sing you a song!_

_And there you are asleep again..._

"Nobody wants any pizza?"

Let's cut right to the cord; Morale was low. Despite accomplishments during the course of the past year, despite personal triumphs, despite it all, New Directions was not feeling good about their chances. They had lost Jack Harmon. They had lost Jesse St. James. And making everything ten times worse was the glaring fact burning brightly in each of their mind's eyes... Sue Sylvester - the woman who had tried at every turn to sabotage them - was scheduled to be one of the judges at Regionals.

Knowing this, Mr. Schuester wanted to try and boost everyone's spirits a little. Therefore, he called for a Glee meeting at his own home. Pizza for everyone. Though, at the current point in time, as they all sat together in the living-room, no one seemed to have much of any appetite.

Mitchell was trying desperately to focus, but he just couldn't. He had overcome a lot this year, but there was still something that was incredibly far away. Something so unbelievably perfect that it seemed more of a dream than anything else. That something was a someone. And that someone was Quinn Fabray. No matter anything that happened during his inaugural year at William McKinley High School, he harbored a love for Quinn. Yes, he was in love with her.

Quinn cared for Mitchell. She really did. And yes, she admitted that if things were different, then maybe they would have a chance at being happy together. But, she was pregnant. Puck was the father, and her life was just so difficult right now already. Still, her heart broke when she explained to him there was no future for them, seeing the pain in his eyes. It just wasn't the right time. Like she said before, it may never be.

"All right, well... Let's get started," Will tried to start a rally, "Thank you for coming to the 1st annual New Directions Regionals set list nominations party."

"What's the point, Mr. Schue?" Artie's voice was low as he frowned, the sadness too heavy to keep a smile up, "Coach Sylvester is one of the judges, and well all know she's going to crush us."

"Now guys, we don't know that," Mr. Schuester said.

"Yeah, we do," Santana followed Artie, sitting next to her Brittany, "She told us at Cheerios practice."

Tears threatened to fall from Brittany's eyes, "She said... 'I'm going to crush Glee Club like a planet in God's vengeful hands.'"

"The whole frickin' year. All that hard work for nothing," Puck was disgusted.

"I should have stuck to my original plan," Mitchell finally spoke, "Staying obscure and invisible. At least I would have accomplished something without having it tooken away."

Tooken?

Tina started crying, "I'm sorry. I just really love you guys. You know how many Facebook friends I had before I joined Glee Club? Two. My parents. Rachel was right when she said that being part of something special makes you special. For the first time in my life, I felt special. I felt really good. And now, it's going to be over in a week."

"Hold on," Finn sat up, being the leader he was destined to be, "Who says it's gonna be over?"

"Whatever," Mercedes said, "You really think Puck and Santana are gonna even acknowledge my existence once we're not in Glee Club together anymore?"

"She has a point," Puck confirmed it.

Mitchell glanced at Quinn, afraid of the thought. If they weren't in New Directions any longer, would she even acknowledge him? Say anything to him? Would the others? Finn? Rachel? Kurt? Mercedes? Tina and Artie? The rest?

"Mr. Schuester?" Rachel sniffled, trying hard not to cry, clutching a pillow in vain for comfort, "Do you think instead of nominating songs," she lost it, unable to hold the sadness in any longer, "We could all just go around the room and talk about things that we loved about Glee Club this year?"

Seeing Rachel lose it, Mitchell lost it as well. He hid his face by leaning over and using his arms as a shield, but you could still hear him cry. He knew what it felt like to lose Glee Club once already. Now, it was happening all over again but on a much larger scale. Also, a more permanent one.

**:::In The Halls:::**

Sad and alone, yet surrounded by students, Mitchell sat by himself on a bottom step. In a few minutes, it would be time for another Glee meeting. And, he still just felt so awful. He was terrified, dreading the competition like it was a surgery of some kind, like he was awaiting a death. He had stopped taking his anxiety pills, too. He was crashing all the more hard because of it.

"You look like you could use a friend," Finn's voice as he sat down next to Mitchell on the step.

Mitchell sniffled, trying to hold in his emotions that threatened to flood out, "It's too hard. Everything is too hard."

"Good thing you're not a quitter," he reminded Mitchell, "Good thing none of us are, right?"

Mitchell took a breath, "How did you get over her?"

"I won't lie, it still hurts sometimes if I think about it too much," an honest answer, "But, as much as it sucked, I moved on. I mean, Rachel's been a big help. But still... The funny thing I learned about things that bother us is they only hurt as much as we let them."

"I've tried not letting it bother me," Mitchell said the obvious, "I've tried everything. Nothing works. I can't get over her. And now, dude, now... New Directions is over. I'll go back to being nothing... no one."

"We'll still be friends, dude," Finn assured him, "I mean, yeah, not nearly as much. But, I don't plan on ditching any of you guys. I know for a fact that Rachel feels the same way. She actually really likes having you for a friend."

That made Mitchell feel a little better, but didn't make everything all right again.

"Listen," Finn stood up, needing to shake Mitchell out of the rut, "Things suck right now. But, there's more than one judge for Regionals. There's four. If we wow the other three enough, Sue won't have any choice but to vote for us. You need to stop feeling so sorry for yourself. You need to step up. We all do. I know we can win this thing."

"Is that the Quarterback in you?" Mitchell had to wonder.

"The Quarterback, the Glee Club member," then Finn extended a hand, "The friend."

With a deep breath, Mitchell believed in Finn's words and accepted the handshake.

**:::Glee Club:::**

Mitchell was starting to feel a little better. The pep talk he received from Finn had done a lot of good, even though it was relatively short. If nothing else, it got Mitchell thinking a little more positively. If that was even the right use of the word. Would you say positive or positively there? Which... Oh, stop getting so easily distracted. Time to focus.

"Mr. Schuester," Rachel and Finn had just entered the choir room, "Finn and I have something we want to say to you."

"Me first," Mr. Schue replied, gesturing briefly to the chairs, "Have a seat."

"Nine months ago," he began after Finchel had taken a seat, "There were five of you and we sucked. I mean, we really really sucked," everyone agreed, sharing a short chuckle. He paused for a moment before going further, "One day... All of you are gonna be gone. And all of this... all of us... will be nothing but a hazy memory. It'll take you a second to remember everyone's name. Someone will have to remind you of the songs we sung... The solo's you got or didn't get."

Rather nonchalantly, Mitchell's gaze was locked on Quinn, though she didn't notice.

Mr. Schuester continued, "Life only really has one beginning and one end. The rest is just a whole lot of middle. And, I love you guys too much to let you not make the most of it. Now, I was gonna quit once before, but you guys brought me back with 'Don't Stop Believin'. It was a nine. It was great. But, we are going to make it a ten and incredible."

Rachel had to ask, "We're doing 'Don't Stop' at Regionals?"

"And then some," Will confirmed, "We are doing a Journey medley. Because who cares what happens when we get there... When the getting there has been so much fun?"

"Rachel," Mr. Schuester again, "You had something you wanted to say?"

She was a bit choked up, the whole experience making everyone emotional, "Just that we're all really glad you didn't become an accountant."

"Regionals," the final say, "Here we come!"

**:::Backstage at Regionals:::**

"_You raise me up! Have to believe we are magic._"

New Directions was fit to be tied, Puck leading the charge as they awaited their turn at bat in the backstage room designated for them, "A mash-up of Olivia Newton-John and Josh Groban? Are you kidding me! Somebody tipped them off about the judges. Damn it!" he felt like punching something.

"Guys," Rachel quickly drew their attention, "We can't get distracted by what the other teams are doing."

"We just gotta keep our heads in the game and focus," Finn declared.

"Even though we know we can't win?" Santana mentioned, Mitchell and Brittany nodding in agreement.

"Yes," Mr. Schuester entered the room, turning off the speaker connected to the wall, "If this is only about winning for you guys, then I owe you all an apology. Because, I failed you. And, we should just all go home, because it means we've already lost."

"But, it's a competition," Mitchell said, now Santana the one to agree with him, "The whole point of being in a competition is to win."

"I get what you and Santana are saying, Mitchell," Mr. Schuester agreed to an extent, "But, we have something that the other groups don't."

"A kid in a wheelchair?" Artie asked.

"A pregnant teenager?" Quinn wondered.

"A juvenile delinquent?" Puck asked.

"Overly virginal Prima donna?" Santana asked, referring to Rachel, warranting a death glare from the tiny diva...

"Overly bitchy cheerleader?"

Oh! Rachel with the comeback! Too bad Jack wasn't around to enjoy it.

"Finn's dancing!" Mr. Schuester got a laugh out of them, relieving the tension, "Right, c'mon. And how about Mitchell's quick steps? Huh? Now, let's get out there, guys. We got two minutes until show time."

"Bring it in, c'mon, let's go!" they all joined fists, "And..."

"NEW DIRECTIONS!"

**:::The Performance:::**

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... NOW PERFORMING... NEW DIRECTIONS!"

Everyone waited in anticipation as the music started. The time to shine had come for New Directions and they were not going to squander it. The music began for the first song of three 'Faithfully'. Then came Finn at the top of the stairs, the spotlight shining...

"_Highway run,_" he sang calmly, walking down the aisle, dressed to impress, "_Into the midnight sun. Wheels go 'round and 'round. You're on my mind._"

The other door on the opposite opened, revealing the beautiful Ms. Rachel Berry in all her glory, all eyes upon her, watching her every move, listening to every syllable she sang, "_Restless hearts. Sleep alone tonight. Sending all my love along the wire._"

She walked down her aisle, meeting Finn near the bottom, as they sang together, their voices blending perfectly, "_They say that the road ain't no place to start a family. Right down the line, it's been you and me._"

They started moving closer to each other, eye contact established, their mutual energy being shared and felt by the audience, "_And loving a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be._"

Rachel by herself as they parted, "_Oh boy, you stand by me._"

Singing together, moving toward the stage, "_I'm forever yours,_" a dramatic pause, "_Faithfully_."

And then came the musical break as they walked onto the stage. Standing side by side in the centre. Behind the curtain, Mitchell was quaking terribly, beads of sweat forming and rolling down his face, "Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke, don't puke. I'm so nervous, is anyone else this nervous? I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die right here," he was stuck in a nervous gear, unable to shift out of it, "Just... If I do... act like it's part of the show, okay?"

The curtain lifted and it was time for everyone else to join in, "_Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh._"

"_Faithfully!_"

"_Oh oh oh oh._"

"_I'm still yours!_" Finn and Rachel met at the front of the stage, "_Faithfully_."

Time for the second act, as it were. This time, Mitchell had to dance around. But, as things kicked up, he felt his confidence grow somewhat, supplying him enough to keep going. No matter what had happened over the past year, New Directions had become united as one single entity, if only for this one night... This one moment.

"_Any way you want, that's the way you need it,_" they sang as one, Mitchell stationed in-between and behind Rachel and Mercedes, "_Any way you want it._"

Mitchell followed right behind Finn as he took control, "_She loves to laugh, she loves to sing. She does everything._"

Holy moly, Mitchell was actually dancing and not tripping over his feet.

Finn kept it going strong, "_She loves to move, she loves to groove. She loves the lovin' things._"

The boys stepped aside as the girls took the floor, lead by Rachel, "_It won't be long, yeah. 'Til you're alone. When your lover... Oh, he hasn't come home. 'Cause he's lovin', he's touchin', he's squeezin'. Another!_"

They mixed together again, Mitchell dancing along with Brittany, praying he didn't end up making her look bad, "_Any way you want it, that's the way you need it. Any way you want it. He said, anyway you want it, that's the way you need it. Any way you want it._"

They took to the steps as Puck sang his part, "_I was alone. I never knew. What good love could do._"

Then Rachel and Fince once again, "_Then we touched. Then we sang. About the lovin' things._"

Rachel sang alone, "_'Cause he's lovin'. He's touchin'. He's squeezin'. Another._"

"_Any way you want it, that's the way you need it. Any way you want it. He said, any way you want it, that's the way you need it. Any way you want it. Na na, na nah na nah. Na na, na nah nah._"

"_Any way you want it, that's the way you need it!_"

New Directions stopped on that beat, each of them tired, each of them really feeling the whole performance. They were flawless thus far. Not one single mistake from anyone. No off-key notes, no missteps in dance routines. Nothing. Perfect. But, there was still something left.

Time to start up Don't Stop Believin'...

As they began, Mitchell turned around right before Rachel and after Tina.

Finn took it away, "_Just a small-town girl. Livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train goin' anywhere._"

Rachel loved this part as she split away from the group, "_Just a city boy. Born and raised in South Detroit. He took the midnight train goin' anywhere._"

Puck's turn to stand out, "_A singer in a smoky room._"

Santana even had a go, "_A smell of wine and cheap perfume._"

The two of them together, circling each other, "_For a smile they can share the night. It goes on and on and on and on._"

Everyone together, the audience standing, clapping with the beat, having a great ol' time courtesy of New Directions, "_Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard. Their shadows, searching in the night. Streetlight, people. Livin' just to find emotion. Hiding somewhere in the night._"

They were really knocking this one out of the park, the crowd loving every single second they performed, Mercedes hit her note as Mitchell jumped up and down, making sure the people kept clapping, "_Don't stop_."

"_Don't stop believin', hold on to that feeling. Streetlight, people, ohh oh ohh. Don't stop!_"

**:::After The Performance:::**

"That was awesome!" Finn exclaimed happily as New Directions headed to their room after the performance.

"Oh my god," Brittany couldn't stop smiling, "We nailed it!"

"I can't believe we did so good!" Mitchell said to the blonde Cheerio.

"We've got second place in the bag!" Tina was happy.

"Screw that!" Rachel was pumped, "We are gonna win this thing!"

"Quinnie," lo and behold, it was Mrs. Fabray waiting at the bottom of the stairs waiting for her daughter, the pride on her face.

Quinn was stunned, to say the very least, "Mom, what are you doing here? Is Dad okay? Did something..."

Mitchell watched from the background.

"I came to hear you sing, and you were wonderful," her mother was smiling while trying to hold back tears that may have been a blend of joy and sadness, "I'm so sorry that I missed all the other times that you performed. Were there a lot? Please don't tell me I missed too many."

Quinn didn't know what to say.

"I left your father," the statement, "Well, I... Kicked him out, actually. He was having an affair with some... tattooed freak."

Tattooed freak? Oofa!

"Quinnie, I want you to come home with me, I can turn the guest room into a nursery. Oh, sweetie, please say something."

"My water just broke..."

"HOLY CRAP!" Mitchell shouted, nearly falling from the shock, "PUCK!"

_'You know in the movies when the sound drops out and everything starts moving in slow-motion? That's exactly what happened then. Puck ran in slow-motion, Finn right behind him. Even Rachel. Then came Mercedes with a wheel-chair. Matt and Mike accidentally ran past everyone, their speed showing through, Santana and Brittany blazing in as well. Mr. Schuester was there too, with Tina and Artie. And then there was Jack. We didn't even know he was there that night. But, he was.'_

_'The next thing I know, they're all on their way out. Someone has to stay, though. The competition wasn't over yet. Vocal Adrenaline was on deck. Just starting their performance, actually. Rachel wanted to stay behind. I wanted to, too. But, for a different reason. I had to accept that Quinn Fabray was never going to say yes to me. I didn't want to be just friends. I wanted more than that. I know it's selfish, but it was my decision. I stayed behind.'_

"Mitchell," Mr. Schuester snapped Mitchell out of his thoughts, "C'mon, there's no time to waste."

The sadness threatening to spill, Mitchell kept a strong face, feet planted, "I'm gonna stay here, Mr. Schuester."

Mr. Schuester looked at Mitchell like he had a gun or something, "Mitchell, don't do this."

Mitchell sighed, running a hand over his hair, messing it up, the tears in his eyes reflecting light, "I'm good, Mr. Schue."

"I'll make something up for you," Mr. Schuester offered, knowing Quinn would be asking for Mitchell at some point.

"Don't," Mitchell didn't want that, "Just tell her the truth, please?"

"Mitchell," Will sighed, "She's gonna be crushed."

Mitchell walked away, leaving Mr. Schuester there.

**:::Vocal Adrenaline:::**

"How are they doing so far? Hopefully horrible," Mitchell joined Rachel at her side.

Her eyes went wide. Mitchell didn't go with Quinn and the rest? She thought for sure that he would have been fighting with Puck over who got to push Quinn in the wheelchair, "Mitchell? You didn't go?"

He shook his head, wanting to ignore it, rather than conversing over it, "It's not a big deal."

"Yes, it is," she stated, "Mitchell, go!"

"No."

"You're going to regret it," she was sure of that, "You love her, and this is the moment where..."

"No love, no moments," he said, "It's over, Rachel. I'm quitting."

"Mitchell..."

The sound of applause interrupted them. Vocal Adrenaline was doing a tremendous job, the crowd loving every second of the number. A Queen medley. Perhaps, the one thing other than Sue Sylvester that could topple a New Directions Journey medley.

"I doubt she'll even notice..." Mitchell looked to the show in front of him.

"Why do you act like this?" Rachel wanted to know.

"Like what?" irritated, he replied sharply.

"You pretend that you're the poor boy no one cares about. That you have it harder than everyone else in the world. That you're going through things no one else ever has. And, please tell me why you think you're not good enough to be with Quinn."

"For starters, she doesn't want to be with me."

"Santana didn't want to be with you!" Rachel accidentally shouted, "It's just not the right time for Quinn, and that's the only thing holding her back."

"What about Puck? What about the fact that she rejected me?"

"It would be a miracle if they're still together by the end of the next Glee meeting. They only fit together superficially. Quinn likes you, Mitchell. And, it's real. Not like Santana. You need to fight for her."

"The last time I did, she told me she didn't want to be friends anymore," referring, of course, to the Madonna performance in the school cafeteria.

"Only because you approached it wrong," Rachel dismissed, "Quinn is a mess right now. And, who can blame her? She's gone through a lot this year. If you were just patient and waited for the right time, she would have said yes to you. But, you didn't."

Mitchell took a deep breath, "I can't get over her, Rachel. I've tried and tried, and nothing helps. Even when I was with Santana, it would only be a matter of time before I was thinking about Quinn again. I'm quitting. I'm done. I can't keep living my life stuck on one thing. I have to get away."

Rachel listened.

"That's why I stayed behind with you," he resumed, "It's my emphatic statement. The final blow. I'm not gonna think about her anymore."

"_Because nothing really matters. Nothing really matters... To me._"

**:::The Hospital:::**

The baby had been born. Quinn was so happy yet sad at the same time. It produced quite the mixture of emotions. For the slightest of split-seconds, she wondered if she could keep the baby. Was there some way that her and Puck could make it work? Some way that they could find a suitable happy ending? The answer was no. She had school to finish and so much else going on. Besides, Puck was Puck. Lovable yet unreliable. She was sure he would try his hardest, but maybe that wouldn't be good enough.

Still, it was a tremendous feeling holding her baby. The living thing that had been inside of her for nine months. And, she was so beautiful. Just like an angel. Like a tiny little gift given to her. She wanted to share this with all her friends. So, one by one, they all came in to visit, Puck stepping out to provide her a little privacy.

Mr. Schuester was last, "She really is beautiful, Quinn. Congratulations."

"Thank you," an exhausted smile from Quinn, "Can you believe it? It's so surreal to me right now. It's like a dream."

Mr. Schuester smiled, "You know I'm gonna expect more dancing from you now, right?"

Quinn laughed, "I'll try my best."

Mr. Schuester took a breath, "Well, I gotta head back. Rachel just called and said that they're gonna announce the winners in a half-hour. She says congratulations too, by the way. And she's sorry she had to miss it."

"I wish I could be there," she said, "I feel like I'm letting you guys down."

Mr. Schuester shook his head, "It's okay," then he leaned over to gently touch the baby's hand and fingers, "Bye bye."

Quinn found something amusing, "Wow, when you took the Glee job, did you ever imagine..."

"Nope," he laughed, "Not in my wildest dreams. Okay, I'll see you on Monday?"

"I'll be there."

And he turned to exit, reaching the door when...

"Tell Mitchell to come in now," she said innocently, obviously not realizing that Mitchell hadn't come along for the trip.

Mr. Schuester turned slowly to her, greatly dreading this moment.

"Don't laugh, but I'm actually really really excited to show him the baby," she admitted with a tired smile, "Dumb, huh?"

Then she noticed the expression on Mr. Schuester's face...

She mirrored it, "What is it?"

Deep breath time, "Don't kill the messenger, but... Mitchell decided to stay behind with Rachel."

"What?" talk about unbelievable, "No, he wouldn't do that," she chuckled through a breath, "C'mon, send him in."

"I know you're mad, but don't be too hard on him," Mr. Schuester said, "He's crazy about you, Quinn. He has been since the starting of the year. You know it and everyone else does, too. It's just been hard on him."

Maybe it was everything else, maybe it was the out of whack hormones, but Quinn cried...

"He gave up," she said in a soft voice, sniffling, looking at her baby, "He finally really gave up."

**:::The Trophy Presentation:::**

The moment of truth.

The rest of New Directions - save for Puck and Quinn - had returned just in time. They all gathered on the stage with the rest of the teams involved in the competition, impatiently awaiting the results. Nerves were at an all-time high, the tension was thick, the electricity buzzing in the air.

"Did you tell her the truth?" Mitchell whispered to Mr. Schuester as he stood next to the Glee director.

"I tried softening the blow a little, but yeah... I did," Mr. Schuester answered.

"She's mad?"

Mr. Schue shook his head, "No anger. Just... Really hurt."

That stung Mitchell, but it was necessary. The emphatic ending. The lethal final blow. It had to be huge, it had to be catastrophic. It had to have something added to it. If Mitchell was going to end his crush on Quinn and kill the feelings that came with it, he needed to do something else as well...

"Mr. Schue, I..."

"AND NOW, HERE ARE YOUR CELEBRITY JUDGES!"

Sue Sylvester, Olivia Netwon-John, Josh Groban and that guy from the news walked on stage, passed the performers. Sue was leading the way with the envelopes in hand, showing them off. Moments later, she was given a microphone and the announcement could then begin...

"As you all know," she started in a very cliche manner, "Glee Club is such an important - and I honestly can't even finish that sentence without bile climbing up the walls of my throat, so let's just get to it, shall we?"

First envelope. The Runners-Up would be announced. Everyone in New Directions held hands, Mitchell tightly linked with Kurt and Mr. Schuester.

"The 2010 Midwest Regional runners-up... From Fort Wayne, Indiana... The not-at-all-stupidly named Aural Intensity!"

A flutter of hope for New Directions. A glimmer, perhaps. Was this their moment? Could they win this Regionals competition and come away with not only a championship and the right to compete at the coveted Nationals, but be able to have Glee Club continue?

Let's find out...

"And now, your 2010 Midwest Regionals Show Choir Champions... Vocal Adrenaline!"

No.

No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no.

Mitchell felt the wind suck out of him. He looked to Kurt with quivering lips, "We didn't win. We-we didn't win. K-Kurt..."

"We didn't even place," Artie felt broken, as did the rest of them.

"Mr. Schue?" Mitchell looked to his teacher, "What happens now?"

"I don't know, Mitchell, I don't know."

**:::Glee Club:::**

The last Glee meeting of the year. Everyone had gathered, sitting in their seats for the last time. Mr. Schuester was seated on a stool in front of them, but not with the sad face that everyone else had dressed themselves in...

"We've got another year."

No one knew what to make of that statement.

"Come on!" he got louder, "We got another year!"

"Oh my god!" Rachel squealed with delight as everyone cheered and started happily dancing around, even the returning Jack, "Are you serious?" Rachel gave their teacher a hug.

"Okay, you guys," Rachel took the floor, "I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to start rehearsing for next year's Sectionals immedia..."

Mr. Schuester interrupted, "Whoah whoah whoah. Guys, you've all worked really hard this year. You deserve a break. Take the Summer off, enjoy yourselves. Forget about all the drama and the pressure and just be kids, huh?"

"Oh," one more thing, "But, before you go, I have something for you," he pulled out a ukulele, "You all sang for me before, so today I'd like to return the favor. Puck, if you're ready..."

The Puckasauras joined Mr. Schuester on the stool next to him.

"_Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh-ooh,_"

Mr. Schue sang, "_Somewhere over the rainbow. Way up high. There's a land that I dreamed of. Once in a lullaby,_"

"_High, high. High._"

"_Somewhere over the rainbow. Skies are blue. And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true-ue-ue._"

Quinn noticed something... Someone was missing. Mitchell wasn't there. Where was Mitchell?

"_Oooh-ooh-ooh._"

"_Oh, someday I'll wish upon a star, and wake up where the clouds are far behind._"

This wasn't right. Maybe he was just sitting somewhere she couldn't see. Quinn stood up, getting a better view and her fears confirmed. Mitchell wasn't there. And she knew for a fact that he had arrived at school. She saw him from afar on the way in this morning after her mother dropped her off.

"_Me. Where trouble melt like lemon drops, high above the chimney tops. That's where you'll find me. Oh, somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly. Birds fly over the rainbow. Why then then oh why, can't I, I, I, I, I, I."_

That's when everyone else started noticing that someone crucial was missing. They also couldn't believe they hadn't noticed any sooner. Mitchell wasn't there. It was the final Glee meeting of the year, they had been given amazing news, and he didn't even bother to show?

"Where is he?" Kurt was the first to speak, "Where's Mitchell?"

"Mitchell?" Brittany checked under and behind the seats, "Are you there? Come out come out wherever you are."

"I thought the air smelled fresher," Jack quipped.

With everyone looking to Mr. Schuester for answers, he obliged accordingly, "Mitchell quit New Directions this morning," there was a collective gasp from the students, "He approached me and asked to leave. I know, guys, it sucks."

Quinn's lip quivered just enough to be noticed if you looked closely enough. The only one to do so, though, was Puck.

"I suppose it was inevitable," Rachel said sadly, "For the past couple months, I didn't feel like his heart was in it anymore."

"Pardon my french, but that is bull-ticky," Kurt stood up straight, "Mitchell was something special to this group of misfits. Was he the most vital piece to New Directions - Jack, put your hand down - no. But, he was a good friend. He'll be missed. And, Rachel Berry, don't you dare say his heart wasn't in this club."

"His name was a tongue-twister," Brittany reminded them all, "Mitchell Marcus Mason. Mitchell Mars... Ahhh, I always get stuck there."

"I must admit," Jack confessed, "Glee may be less enjoyable if I'm with one less target for my genius quips and pranks."

Quinn was struggling.

"Stinky," Mercedes smiled as she fondly remembered him, shaking her head, "We barely knew ya."

"This doesn't feel right," Finn stood up, "We're not all here. We didn't all make it through. We need him. It supposed to be all of us. How could he just quit on us?"

Will shrugged slightly, "I share your opinion. But, what can we do? He doesn't want to be here anymore."

Quinn choked back an escaping sob, covering her mouth...

Puck draped an arm over her shoulders, "You okay?"

"No," she mumbled before leaving the choir room, "Not at all."

"That's my cue," Puck followed her, "Later, peeps."

"I'm strangely okay with this," Santana sat comfortably, "It was getting a little weird being around him all the time, anyway. Considering our history."

"I'm with Finn," Artie's turn at bat, "This doesn't feel right. Mitchell's one of us. Regardless of him leaving Glee being kinda routine by now... He should still be here. At least for this meeting."

"At least to say goodbye," Kurt finished Artie's thought.

"There must be something we can do," Tina wanted to start a brain-storm, "We got him back once before, we can do it again."

Rachel was ready to start planning, "Okay, let's think this through. What can we..."

"There's nothing you can do, guys," Mr. Schue interrupted in a stern manner, "Listen, Mitchell's heart is broken into a thousand pieces right now. There's only one thing in this world that can bring him back. And, it's not any of us."

"The former Cheerio formerly known as Pregnoid," Jack summed it up perfectly, "Do not fail us now."

**:::In The Halls:::**

Puck and Quinn stood in front of each other, the McKinley hallways empty because the classes hadn't finished yet. Quinn's eyes were tear-filled and red, though she tried her best to hide that. Puck was in front of her, hands on her shoulders for comfort before bringing her closer for a hug...

"I'm not the greatest guy in the world," he admitted softly, "But, that doesn't mean I can't try to be once in awhile. So," he swallowed hard, his conscience battling itself ruthlessly, "I'm gonna step aside."

"No," she breathed, the tears in her eyes twinkling in the light, "That's not what I want."

"Yeah, it is," he knew the truth, "Trust me, I can tell. Besides, let's face it, the only bond we have is the baby. But, now she's gone and we're just two people that happen to be stuck together. We don't gel. It's fate, babe. What can ya do?"

Quinn leaned into Puck's chest, holding onto him, maybe for the last time, "I already miss her."

"Me too," he half-smirked, "How about you save this moment for your boy, though?"

"This isn't you, you're not this nice."

He took some offense to that, "Hey, who said you're the only one that can try being good instead of bad?"

She let a short laugh slip by, before leaning up to give him a quick kiss goodbye, "There will always be a little piece of my heart saved for just you."

That made him feel good. Made him feel like what he was doing was the right thing.

"You would have made a great dad, Noah Puckerman."

"How about one last quickie in the closet before you go?" Puck grinned, returning to his signature form.

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I retract my previous statement."

"What?" he laughed, "C'mon, it was worth a shot."

**:::The Hospital Bus Stop:::**

In some ways, there was this numb feeling filling Mitchell. It was uncomfortable. But, he figured - or at least hoped - it would eventually pass and he would be able to truly move on. He never counted on it hurting this much, though. Naive, he never believed that the heartbreak would be real and feel like this, never mind leave such an ache in his chest. Every so often, if Mitchell thought of Quinn hard enough, it was like he couldn't breathe clearly.

He sniffled, his hood up, wondering just how pathetic he looked to people passing by the bus stop. He was sitting there, waiting on his ride home. It was only him, no one else. How typical and fitting; He was all alone. He had lost the girl of his dreams and the best friends he could have ever found or even asked for.

Wait, no. He didn't lose them. He abandoned them. He pushed them away. It was all over. But, it was for the best, right? They didn't deserve a loser like him in their Glee Club, anyway.

Mitchell heard foot-steps approaching, but paid no attention. He merely tightened his hood and kept his gaze down on his own legs and feet, waiting in silence for the bus. Momentarily, the person took a seat next to him, and that's when he finally realized who it was...

"You really hurt me, Mitchell," there was Quinn Fabray with her regained skinny frame and sad eyes that reflected the hurt that she alluded to, "After all that we'd been through," she swallowed, "How could you not be there when my little girl was born?"

Seeing how hurt she was, knowing it was mostly his fault, tore his heart in half. He tried his hardest not to cry, tightening his jaw and closing his eyes repeatedly as the emotions boiled inside.

"And then you quit the Glee Club?" she questioned that decision, "Right when we find out that we have another year? Tell me, because I want to know, what did I do to you that was so horrible that you needed this revenge?"

"I'm sorry," that's all he could say, speaking through the lump building in his throat.

"Talk to me, Mitchell," she pressed, "Let it out."

He chuckled through a breath, wiping his eyes as Quinn awaited his words, "I can't do it anymore. I can't sit in that damn room and pretend that I'm okay. I can't," his voice cracked, "It hurts so much. I can't get past this. I've tried and I've tried. I can't do it. I give up."

Quinn fought the urge to cry.

"Nothing helps, either!" he shouted, letting his emotions fly, "Not staying away from you, not these god damn pills," he took the bottle out of his pocket and threw them into the street, "It was never a crush. It's like love at first sight. Ever since I saw you in that hallway... I've been in love with you."

She listened.

He took a deep breath, pulling his hood tighter, but Quinn took it off his head so that she could see him clearly, "I don't know what else to do," he admitted, "I know I'm a jerk. I know how awful and selfish I'm being, but when I'm around you now... It's nothing but pain. You're so..." he became too choked up to talk more.

Quinn hesitated before speaking, wanting to choose her words very carefully, very delicately, "As soon as I found out that you weren't there when I had my baby, I thought you hated me," she paused, that memory so fresh in her mind, "I thought that... You were never going to forgive me."

"I don't hate you," he whispered, "I'm not even mad at you. It's not any of that."

"I know," she acknowledged, "But, that's when I realized something."

Now he was the one listening.

"Mitchell, I wanted you there. I wanted you to be a part of my moment," she broke down, "And you weren't there. I wanted you to be a part of my life, but you gave up and weren't going to be. I wanted to be a part of your life, but you weren't going to let me."

The bus arrived.

In that moment, Mitchell was confronted with a decision that may have impacted his life in a very profound way; Getting on that bus right now, walking up the little steps, meant that he was done with Quinn Fabray. No turning back, no regret, none of that. Now, if he chose not to take the ride, then he would be allowing himself to be lost in her, whether for better or worse.

The doors folded open and Mitchell stood, taking his first step on the path away from Quinn. He locked eyes with the bus driver, Harold S. Jenkins, and took another step, now less than a foot away. He then lifted the heel of his shoe to place it on the first step, but stopped. The driver stared at him cockeyed, as it was apparent this boy was having some kind of problem getting on the damn bus.

Mitchell was on the cusp, he was on the brink, teetering on the edge. If he chose to walk off the edge, he'd be gone and never looking back. It would be over. It would be done.

However, he fought himself internally. And Mitchell decided...

To remain on the cliff, boldly turning around to face the dangers awaiting him. The doors collapsed together and the bus accelerated away. Mitchell just stood there for a moment, watching his last chance drive down the street and then around the corner.

Then he turned around, finding Quinn was also now standing...

"I'm going to miss this," she referred to their conversations.

"Me too," he agreed quietly.

They took a step closer to each other...

"Maybe," Quinn said as their hands reached forward, fingers gently lacing into one other, "This doesn't have to be our last."

"Maybe not."

They were inches apart, if even that, so close that they could feel the warmth of each other's breath, their eyes locked together just like their fingers and hands...

"Quinn Fabray?" the boy breathed.

"Yes, Mitchell Mason?" the girl responded, eager for his inevitable question.

His eyes closed, battling a war against the fear and other negative feelings holding him back. His lips moved, but the words refused to be let out. He couldn't bring himself to ask the question that would seal his fate. He was just so afraid.

Quinn's eyes closed, the sunlight peeking in as their foreheads touched, "Mitchell?"

It felt so good to him, like the greatest drug ever invented. He was intoxicated. He was in heaven. He was living it up on cloud nine. Nothing could even touch him. Bullet-proof, invincible, invulnerable like Superman.

"You better ask me the question now."

"Quinn, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Yes."

_Once again, your eyes make it hard to say goodbye_

_So, I'll just keep driving_

_Where do you wanna go?_

_It doesn't really matter_

_As long as you are here with me, with me, with me_

_Whoah, there's something in the air tonight_

_Something that makes me feel alive, and I say_

_Whoah, what were the words that you said to me_

_That made me feel so special now_

Shock. Mitchell pulled away abruptly, heart skipping beats, that numb feeling filled with electricity, the ache in his chest replaced by a burst of energy. His eyes went wide as he stared at a smiling Quinn with now happy tears in her eyes. She just said yes! His dream had come true! Everything was right in the world. It was perfection. It was blissful freakin' bliss! Sunshine and daisies! Mitchell was so happy, he was shaking like a leaf in the breeze.

_Once again, your eyes make it hard to ask you why_

_So, I sit here knuckles tight_

_Hands against the wheel_

_Your head against the glass_

_And you mean so much to me, to me, to me_

_Whoah, there's something in the air tonight_

_Something that makes me feel alive, and I say_

_Whoah, what were the words that you said to me_

_That made me feel so special_

And now there was only one thing left to do...

_Whoah (Stay with me)_

_Whoah (Stay with me)_

_Whoah (Stay with me)_

_Whoah (Stay)_

Mitchell Mason and Quinn Fabray shared their very first kiss.

_Stay with me_

_Cigarettes and open air_

_Hand in hand, and I said_

_Stay with me_

_'Cause every star that I see is brighter than the last_

_So..._

Quinn had a long road ahead of her. There were painful feelings and emotions inside of her that would need some time to heal. She wasn't over giving her daughter away. She was okay with it for now, but not completely over it. But, at least, she had someone special to help her along the way. As she would undoubtedly help him as well.

_Stay with me_

_Cigarettes and open air_

_hand in hand, and I said_

_Stay with me_

_'cause every star that I see is brighter than the last_

_So..._

The kiss ended, the two of them reflecting a shared happiness.

_Stay with me!_

Indeed, a happy ending.

**What does New Directions think of Mitchell Mason and Quinn Fabray finally being together?**

_Kurt;_ "Ahhh, I'm so happy for you, Mitchell! You've come such a long way from the bumbling boy that walked into my locker. I suppose, in a way, that's part of your charm. Somewhere inside, you're still that bumbling boy."

_Santana;_ "What do I care? I got my Puckerman back!"

Mercedes; "I'm so happy for you, guys. You both have been through a lot. Especially you, Quinn. I hope it lasts as long as possible."

_Puck;_ "Dude, finally. 'Bout time, too. Quinn, you know I got nothing but love for you, but one woman ain't enough for the Puckasauras."

_Jack;_ "There is a general sense of warmth that I'm feeling that isn't usually felt. There, good 'nuff?"

_Finn;_ "I didn't think I would be okay with this, but I am. I'm happy for you, guys. By the way, Rachel wants to double-date this Summer."

_Artie;_ "When's the wedding? Hahahaha, nah, I be playin'. I'm glad things worked out, though."

_Tina;_ "Congratulations. Or should I say... C-C-C-C-Congratulations! Haha."

_Rachel;_ "Mitchell, I still remember our first talks. You've always been a good friend. And Quinn... I'm very impressed by you, and I admire everything you've accomplished. You two make a cute couple too. Not quite up to the standard Finn and I have set, but that's neither here nor there. Oh, I almost forgot, we should schedule some double-dates for this Summer! Bye, guys!"

_Emma;_ "Awww, the two of you are just so sweet together. What else can I say other than congratulations and have a great - _clean_ - Summer."

_Will;_ "What can I say, guys? It's so great to finally see you two together. You've both been through so much, and it's been obvious this whole time that there was something between you. And, oh yeah, I'm expecting huge duets from you in the future. Quinn, Mitchell, I wish you all the best and hope you have a great Summer. By the way, Mitchell, your position in New Directions has been re-instated. Better never quit again, though."

_Sue;_ "Well now, what to say, what to say? In one way, I'm absolutely ill... sick to my stomach. This new relationship will only strengthen that curly-haired monkeyman's resolve. And, in the war that is the battle for Stinky the Lamb's soul, I have lost. On the other hand, I would be outright lying if I said that I'm not a bit relieved to see you, Q, so happy. After all, you always did show a lot of promise."

_Brittany;_ "Mitchell Marcus Mason. Mitchell Marcus Mason. Mitchell Marcus Mos... Ahhh, beat my record!"

_**::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::THE END:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::**_

Quitchell is born! I struggled a lot with the decision of whether or not to pair them together. The original idea was to do that, then I changed my mind, then changed it again, and went back and forth a few more times. I know the bus stop scene is overly dramatic and is full of cheese, but it is what it is. I think it's a fitting end, for better or worse. Hopefully it's enjoyable and I haven't stepped too deeply into the muck known as Mary-Sue.

The songs used are by my personal favorite band Finch. "Ender" at the beginning and "Stay With Me" as the Quitchell anthem. I prefer their 2nd record "Say Hello To Sunshine" but couldn't fit the songs with the story. I'm actually listening to them right this moment as I'm typing. Their songs are a major influence. So, there you go.

Lastly, thank you to the reviewers, the supporters, the ones who put it on an alert or a favorite, everyone who checked it out, thought it sucked and never looked at it again. Finishing this is actually a huge accomplishment. Thank you to Soulless Warlock for letting me use Jack. I tried not to wreck the character, hopefully I didn't. Cola, I'll say the same about Dylan in advance.

Season Two is coming soon. The title will officially be "GLEE: A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW PART 2" . Really creative, huh? Now, until then...

Laters


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